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THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 


THE  STORY  OF  A  SAILOR'S  LIFE. 


BY 

E.  SHIPPEN,  U.  S.  N. 


WITH    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
J.   B.  LIPPINCOTT  &  CO. 

1879. 


Copyright,  1878,  by  J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  &  Co. 


PEEFAOE. 


NEAELY  all  the  incidents  and  scenes  depicted  in 
this  book  have  been  derived  from  the -writer's  own 
experience  or  from  the  relations  of  actors  and  eye- 
witnesses. Nothing  in  it  is  matter  of  pure  invention 
except  as  to  arrangement  and  the  connecting  links 
necessary  to  preserve  the  continuity  of  the  narrative, 
fragments  of  which  have  given  entertainment  to  so 
many  listeners,  old  and  young,  as  to  encourage  the 
hope  that  in  a  connected  form  it  might  interest  a 
wider  circle.  The  chapters  describing  the  fight  be- 
tween the  Monitor  and  the  Merrimac,  and  the  capture 
of  Fort  Fisher,  have,  in  a  slightly  altered  form, 
already  appeared  in  Lippineott's  Magazine,  where  they 
were  divested  of  their  connection  with  the  hero  of  the 
narrative,  and  became  a  strictly  accurate  account  of 
facts  which  came  under  the  writer's  observation. 


2051349 


CONTENTS. 


CUAPTEB  PAGE 

I. — MY   BIRTH    AND    EARLY   EDUCATION   ...  9 
II. — MY     PARENTS     DIE,     LEAVING     ME    ADRIFT    ON 

THE   WORLD 16 

III. — I    ENLIST     IN    THE    AMERICAN    NAVY,    AND    GO 

TO    THE     UNITED     STATES              ....  27 

IV. — WE    PASS    DOWN    THE    CHINA   AND    JAVA    SEAS.  34 

V. — HOMEWARD  BOUND 41 

VI. — HAVING  WORKED  LIKE  HORSES,  WE  SPEND  LIKE 

ASSES,   AND   SOON   SHIP   AGAIN  ...  49 

VII. — I    LOSE    MY   SHIP,   AND   ENTER    THE   NAVY   ONCE 

MORE 60 

VIII. — A   CRUISE   ON   THE   COAST   OF   AFRICA  .  .  70 

IX. — FROM  ST.  JAGO  TO  MONROVIA  AND  CAPE  PAL- 
MAS   83 

X. — I  AM   PROMOTED   TO   BE   COXSWAIN,  AND  WE 

CRUISE   SOUTH  OF   THE   LINE          ...       94 
XI. — CHASING  SLAVERS  AT  THE  CONGO     .        .        .     108 
XII. — "WE  LEAVE  THE  COAST  OF  AFRICA  AND  GO  "  UP 

THE  STRAITS"  AGAIN 126 

XIII. — I  GO  TO  JERUSALEM,  AND  MEET  WITH  A  NEARLY 

FATAL  ACCIDENT 141 

XIV. — I  AM  INVALIDED  HOME,  GET  WELL,  AND  JOIN 

THE  MERCHANT  SERVICE         ....     155 

XV. — MUTINY  ON  THE  HIGH  SEAS       ....     168 

XVI. — ADRIFT  ONCE  MORE,  i  TAKE  TO  COASTING        .     178 

XVII. — I    FALL    UPON    MY    FEET, — AND    ALSO    FALL    IN 

LOVE 190 

XVIII. — I   MAKE   A   VOYAGE   TO   THE    RIVER   OF    PLATE    .      202 
XIX. — I   FALL   INTO   THE   COMMAND    OF   THE   SHIP,  BUT 
SUFFER   A   GREAT   MISFORTUNE    AT    THE   SAME 
TIME 214 

1*  6 


Q  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 
XX. — MY  FIRST   VOYAGE   AS   CAPTAIN          .           .           .  224 
XXI. — ON    MY   BEAM    ENDS    AGAIN,    BUT    BIGHT    MY- 
SELF  BY   BUYING  A  VESSEL   OF   MY   OWN      .  238 

XXII. — HOMEWARD  BOUND,  i  LOSE  MY  MASTS,  AND 

NEARLY  LOSE  THE  SHIP  ....  248 
XXIII. — THE  TRAVELLER  IS  TOTALLY  LOST,  AND  I 

COME  HOME  AS  PASSENGER  .  .  .  255 

XXIV. — I  ENTER  THE  NAVY  AGAIN, — THIS  TIME  AS 

AN   OFFICER 264 

XXV. — THE  FIRST  DAY  OF  THE  BATTLE  AT  HAMP- 
TON ROADS 277 

XXVI. — THE  SECOND  DAY'S  FIGHT. — THE  MERRIMAC 

AND   MONITOR 287 

XXVII. — I  AM  ORDERED   ON   DUTY  AGAIN. — CAPTURE  A 

BLOCKADE-RUNNER   AND   TAKE    HER   HOME.  294 

XXVIII. — A    "  CUTTING   OUT"   PARTY         ....  304 
XXIX. — I    AM    TAKEN    PRISONER. — ABOUT    THE   WORST 

SCRAPE    OF   MY  LIFE 313 

XXX. — MY   EXPERIENCE   AS   A   PRISONER     .  .  .  323 

XXXI.— WE    DIG    OUT    OF    PRISON. — WORK    HARD   FOR 

LIBERTY. — AND  ARE   RECAPTURED          .  .  334 

XXXII. — I    AM    EXCHANGED,   AND    GET    HOME   AGAIN     .  347 

XXXIII. — THE  FIRST  BATTLE  OF  FORT  FISHER      .        .    359 
XXXIV. — THE  END  OF  THE  WAR, — AND  OF  MY  NAVAL 

SERVICE  .....    371 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTEATIOE"S. 


PAGE 

"  THE  PURSER'S  STEWARD  THEN  BEGAN   TO  CALL  THE 

GROG-LIST" Frontispiece. 

"  THE  BOATSWAIN'S  MATE  WAS  MILDLT  CAUTIONED  TO 

'  DO  HIS  DUTY'  " 32 

"  TWO  LARGE  WAR  CANOES,  FILLED  WITH  NEGROES, 

CAME  DASHING  OFF  FROM  THE  GREBO  TOWN"  .  .  90 
"  THE  MATE  JUMPED  BACK,  AND,  DRAWING  A  REVOLVER, 

SHOT  GREEN  DEAD" 173 

"  TRAINING  THE  HOWITZER  UPON  THEM,  i  FIRED  INTO 

THE   MIDST   OF   THE   GROUP"  ,      311 


THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 


CHAPTER  I. 

MY  BIETH   AND   EARLY   EDUCATION. 

MY  name  is  William  Joseph  Carlyon,  —  by  birth  an 
English  subject  :  but,  by  service  and  adoption,  an  Amer- 
ican. I  was  born  in  the  Palawan  Passage,  in  the  East 
Indies,  on  board  a  small  "  country  ship,"  of  which  my 
father  was  master,  in  the  year  1831.  The  vessel  was 
then  on  the  passage  from  Calcutta  to  China.  So  I  was 
born  at  sea,  and  have  been  seafaring  ever  since. 

My  father  was  a  Cornish  man  ;  and,  for  several  years 
before  my  birth,  he  had  commanded  the  "  Cursetjee 
Ramonjee,"  a  vessel  of  about  six  hundred  tons,  —  built 
in  Madras,  of  teak-wood,  —  with  most  of  her  rigging 
of  coir.  i2^c-(L~<0-0Ls^i*is/- 


She  was  outlandish-looking  enough,  when  compared 
with  the  slashing  Americans,  and  trim  frigate-built 
English  East-Indiamen,  which  she  met  in  the  Hooghly 
or  the  Canton  River.  But  she  was  a  good  strong  vessel, 
and  reasonably  fast  and  weatherly. 

The  captain,  my  father,  and  his  two  mates  were 
English,  while  the  ship's  company  consisted  of  about 
forty  Lascars,  headed  by  their  "  serang,"  or  boatswain. 

A*  9 


10  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

These  Lascars  have  to  be  about  double  in  number, 
as  compared  with  an  English  or  American  crew ;  for, 
though  active  as  monkeys,  they  are  weak  and  trifling. 

No  men  can  get  aloft  quicker  to  furl  a  top-sail, — 
for  they  use  their  toes  almost  like  fingers, — but  when 
it  comes  to  lifting  and  stowing  a  heavy  sail,  it  takes  as 
many  of  them  as  can  get  upon  the  yard.  They  live 
mostly  on  rice  and  curry  and  hard  bread, — and  so  are 
cheap  to  feed, — while  they  are  paid  much  less  than 
white  sailors. 

My  mother  accompanied  my  father  in  his  voyages. 
She  was  a  Cornish  woman,  who  had  been  brought  out 
to  India,  as  maid,  by  a  colonel's  lady.  She  came  from 
the  same  neighborhood  as  my  father,  and  they  knew 
each  other's  kin;  so,  after  an  accidental  meeting,  in 
Calcutta,  they  began  a  courtship,  and  were  married  in 
a  short  time  after  their  acquaintance  began.  I  have 
heard  my  mother  say  that  the  colonel's  lady  was  very 
angry,  and  talked  much  of  her  ingratitude,  and  of 
the  expense  of  her  passage  out.  But  my  mother  said 
she  did  not  mind  that,  as  she  had  served  the  lady  for 
two  years  (including  the  passage,  which  took  six  months), 
while  most  of  the  ladies'-maids  who  came  out  then  to 
India  married  almost  immediately.  Indeed,  I  believe 
my  mother  had  had  other  opportunities  to  marry  quite 
well;  for  respectable  young  Englishwomen,  of  her 
class,  were  not  so  plenty  in  India  at  that  day. 

The  vessel  which  was  my  birthplace  and  home  was 
owned  by  a  Parsee  firm,  whose  main  house  was  in 
Bombay,  with  a  branch  in  Calcutta,  and  another  in 
Macao.  One  or  other  of  the  members  of  the  firm 
frequently  made  voyages  with  us ;  and  we  had  a  very 


MY  BIRTH  AND  EARLY  EDUCATION.  H 

large  cabin,  a  part  of  which  was  separated  for  my 
mother's  use. 

The  ship  never  went  to  Bombay,  but  traded  mostly 
between  Calcutta  and  Macao,  or  Cumsing-moon ;  the 
most  valuable  part  of  her  cargo,  out,  being  opium ; 
and  that  coming  home  (as  we  called  Calcutta)  being 
"  sycee"  silver,  received  in  exchange.  Of  course  this 
did  not  take  up  much  room,  and  so  I  had  generally  a 
fine  "  larking-place,"  or  play-ground,  on  the  main  deck. 
Sometimes,  when  there  was  a  great  dearth  of  rice  in 
China,  our  house  would  send  us  down  to  Lombock  or 
Bali,  east  of  Java,  with  cotton  and  silk-stuffs,  and 
money,  to  buy  a  whole  cargo  of  rice.  On  these  voy- 
ages we  never  had  opium,  which  was  too  valuable  to 
be  risked  in  the  dangerous  navigation  among  the  Malay 
Islands.  Besides  this,  with  the  rice  cargoes  we  were 
loaded  till  our  scuppers  were  awash,  and  we  made  tre- 
mendously long  passages  up  the  China  Sea,  to  Macao, 
if  it  happened  to  be  in  the  northeast  monsoon. 

Our  Parsee  owners  were  very  intelligent,  and  rather 
liberal  men.  I  remember  them  well ;  and  what  my 
father  and  mother  told  me  about  them.  I  have  read, 
since  then,  that  the  Parsees  are  followers  of  Zoroaster, 
the  ancient  Persian  teacher.  They  are  popularly  said  to 
worship  fire,  and  the  sun,  as  a  symbol  of  the  Deity. 
This  sect  emigrated  to  India  ages  ago,  when  their 
country  was  conquered  by  the  followers  of  Mohammed  ; 
and  they  settled,  for  the  most  part,  at  Bombay, — where 
they  have  flourished  ever  since, — and  are  noted,  through- 
out the  East,  for  their  shrewdness,  uprightness,  intelli- 
gence, and  success  in  mercantile  transactions. 

They  have  clear,  dark  complexions,  but  not  darker 


12  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

than  many  Spaniards;  the  face  always  clean  shaven, 
except  a  jet-black  moustache.  Generally  of  good 
height,  while  young  they  are  slender  and  graceful ; 
but,  by  the  time  they  are  middle-aged,  they  become 
portly,  with  a  very  dignified  bearing.  Almost  always 
dressed  in  white,  flowing  robes,  with  a  handsome  girdle, 
— and  wearing  a  peculiar  high  dark  cap,  something  like 
a  mitre, — they  are  most  striking  in  appearance.  They 
attend  most  punctually  to  their  devotions,  especially  at 
sunrise  and  sunset.  On  board  our  vessel  and  on  shore, 
I  have  hundreds  of  times  seen  them  bowing  and  pros- 
trating toward  the  rising  sun,  which  they  seemed  to 
greet  with  joy.  At  sunset  they  seemed  sad,  as  the  sun 
withdrew  his  rays. 

The  Parsees  have  a  place  (one  cannot  call  it  a  grave- 
yard) near  Macao  where  they  deposit  their  dead.  The 
same  is  found  wherever  Parsees  congregate.  The  place 
I  speak  of  was  on  the  top  of  a  hill,  not  overlooked  by 
any  other  height.  It  was  full  of  fine  trees,  and  sur- 
rounded by  a  very  high  wall. 

Here  they  expose  the  bodies  of  the  dead,  upon  a 
grating,  at  the  top  of  a  tower.  There  are  numbers  of 
vultures,  which  appear  to  live  there,  and  these  soon 
clean  the  bones,  which  are  then  collected  and  deposited 
in  a  vault.  I  have  often  seen  the  outside  of  the  place, 
and  the  birds  sitting  upon  the  trees.  I  believe  no  one 
is  allowed  to  enter  unless  of  their  faith ;  but  I  have 
been  told  that  it  was  just  a  well-kept  garden. 

On  one  of  our  trips  up  the  China  Sea,  from  Bali,  our 
young  supercargo,  a  nephew  of  our  owners,  was  taken 
very  ill  with  fever.  The  one  prevailing  wish,  appar- 
ently, during  his  illness,  was  that  he  might  not  die 


MF  BIRTH  AND  EARLY  EDUCATION.          13 

until  we  reached  Macao,  where  his  body  might  be  eaten 
by  the  birds  within  the  sacred  enclosure,  instead  of  by 
the  sharks  of  the  China  Sea.  But  he  got  well  long 
before  we  arrived.  As  for  sharks,  I  may  say  that,  in 
all  my  experience,  I  have  never  seen  a  living  man  eaten 
by  sharks.  They  tear  and  tug  at  a  dead  body,  but,  as 
long  as  a  man  kicks  or  strikes  out,  they  seem  afraid  to 
touch  him.  I  know  that  this  is  contrary  to  the  usual 
belief,  and  I  only  state  what  I  have  seen.  I  must  be- 
lieve that  living  men  are  sometimes  taken,  but  I  think 
not  nearly  so  often  as  is  commonly  supposed. 

There  was  always  to  be  seen,  in  the  shoal  part  of  the 
China  Sea,  something  much  more  horrible  to  me  than 
sharks.  These  were  snakes,  which  are  in  great  num- 
bers in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Natuna  Islands,  where 
the  sea  is  very  shallow  and  warm.  They  are  from  two 
or  three  to  six  or  eight  feet  long,  of  a  cream  or  ash 
color,  sometimes  mottled  with  darker  shades.  They 
were  really  shaped  more  like  eels  than  snakes,  and 
would  curl  and  twist  like  great  worms  as  they  floated 
along.  I  have  often  watched  them,  with  a  mixture  of 
childish  fascination  and  repugnance,  as  we  sailed  among 
them  for  hours.  I  remember  my  father's  having  a 
small  one  caught  and  placed  in  a  barrel  with  a  live 
chicken,  which  it  bit,  and  the  chicken  died  in  a  few 
minutes.  I  have  also  heard  of  these  snakes  crawling 
up  the  chains  of  vessels  at  anchor,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Gulf  of  Siam,  and  so  among  the  men  who  were  asleep 
on  deck.  The  men,  feeling  something  moving,  would 
strike  out,  in  their  sleep,  when  the  snake  would  bite 
them,  frequently  with  fatal  results.  These  were  among 
the  stories  I  heard,  when  my  father  had  other  "  skip- 

2 


14  THIRTY   YEARS  AT  SEA. 

pers"  on  board,  "spinning  yarns,"  and  may  not  be  en- 
tirely true;  but  of  the  chicken  being  killed  by  the 
bite  of  a  small  snake,  I  was  myself  a  witness. 

But  I  must  return  to  our  voyages.  The  rice  cargoes 
we  always  carried  in  bulk,  with  merely  heavy  "  dun- 
nage," to  keep  it  from  the  bilge-water,  and  "  shifting 
boards"  to  keep  it  from  all  sliding  over  to  one  side  when 
the  ship  careened.  The  rice  was  unhusked,  and  in  that 
state  is  called  "  padi."  When  we  discharged  the  rice 
at  Macao,  or  at  Whampoa  (which  is  only  a  few  miles 
below  Canton),  our  Lascars  would  go  down  into  the 
hold  of  the  vessel,  each  having  a  flat  basket,  holding 
about  a  peck.  Squatting  down,  they  scrape  these  bas- 
kets full  with  their  hands.  Then  they  put  the  basket 
on  their  heads,  and  run  to  "  dump"  it  in  the  large  bucket, 
to  be  hoisted  on  deck  and  discharged  into  lighters  lying 
alongside.  These  Lascars  will  not  use  shovels  or  bar- 
rows, or  any  other  implements  than  those  they  have 
been  accustomed  to  for  countless  generations.  They 
are  not  very  strong,  either,  as  I  have  said,  and  so  it 
takes  about  two  or  three  of  them  to  do  as  much  work 
as  one  white  sailor. 

Once,  one  of  our  Lascars  fell  and  broke  his  leg. 
My  father  sent  for  a  doctor,  who  lived  in  a  "  chop,"  or 
floating-house,  at  Whampoa.  At  that  time  no  foreigners 
were  allowed  to  reside  on  shore  at  Whampoa,  and  all 
who  were  permanently  settled  there,  in  any  business, 
lived  in  floating-houses,  anchored  in  tfie  river.  The 
doctor  came  in  his  boat,  instead  of  a  gig,  put  on 
splints  and  bandages,  and  left  directions,  on  going  away, 
that  nothing  was  to  be  disturbed.  The  Lascars  got  it 
into  their  heads  that  he  had  put  some  ointment,  of  lard 


BIRTH  AND   EARLY  EDUCATION.  15 

or  pig's  grease,  under  the  bandages ;  and,  as  this  made 
the  patient  "  unclean,"  they  would  not  come  near  him, 
but  left  him  without  drink  all  night.  The  fellow  had, 
in  the  dark,  managed  to  get  a  knife,  and  had  ripped  off 
all  the  bandages  and  splints,  and  was  found  next  morn- 
ing in  a  very  bad  way.  The  doctor  came,  and  it  took 
at  least  an  hour  to  convince  the  "  serang"  and  the  pa- 
tient that  no  ointment  or  other  defiling  thing  had  been 
applied.  The  splints  and  bandages  were  then  re-ap- 
plied, after  a  long  time  in  re-setting  the  leg,  and  the 
man  got  well  very  soon.  Indeed,  they  almost  always 
recover  very  soon  from  injuries,  for  they  live  so  tem- 
perately that  they  seldom  have  much  inflammation. 


CHAPTER  II. 

MY  PARENTS  DIE,  LEAVING  ME  ADRIFT  ON  THE 
WORLD. 

I  MUST  now  say  something  about  our  opium  cargoes. 
By  the  time  I  was  ten  years  old  the  old  "  Cursetjee 
Ramonjee"  was  at  least  forty,  and  the  owners  sold  her. 
A  teak-built  ship  lasts  a  long  time  with  good  care,  and 
the  old  "  Cursetjee"  had  made  a  great  deal  of  money 
for  them.  The  Parsee  firm  now  transferred  my  father 
to  a  fast  new  brig,  called  the  "Hooghly,"  and  after 
that  we  stuck  to  the  opium  trade  exclusively :  for  the 
brig  was  sharp-built,  and  of  small  capacity  for  cargo, 
being  expressly  built  and  fitted  for  an  "  opium  clipper." 
At  this  time  some  of  the  fastest  sailing-vessels  in  the 
world  were  employed  in  this  trade  of  smuggling  opium. 
The  English  were  then  carrying  on  a  war  with  China, 
principally  about  this  very  question  of  opium.  Of 
course  I  had  no  idea,  then,  that  there  was  anything 
wrong  in  smuggling,  especially  in  smuggling  a  thing 
which  does  so  much  harm  as  opium.  So,  after  the 
change,  I  only  regretted  the  roomy  cabin  and  "  'tween 
decks"  of  the  old  ship,  as  well  as  her  slow  and  easy 
ways.  By  this  time  I  was  pretty  well  advanced  in 
reading  and  writing,  which  my  mother  had  taught  me, 
while  my  father  had  given  me  lessons  in  arithmetic. 
Besides  my  own  language  I  spoke  Hindostanee  fluently, 
and  some  Malay.  Of  course  the  sea  was  second  nature 
16 


ADRIFT  ON  THE    WORLD.  17 

to  me,  and  when  my  mother  and  myself  sometimes 
stayed  on  shore,  at  Calcutta  or  Macao,  while  my  father 
made  a  voyage  in  the  bad-weather  seasons,  I  was  always 
delighted  to  get  on  board  ship  again  on  his  return.  In 
the  "  Hooghly,"  running  opium,  we  had  to  carry  sail 
hard,  and  never  wait  for  the  "  monsoons/'  which  are 
winds  which  blow  half  the  year  from  northeast,  and  the 
other  half  from  southwest.  Although  opium  was  con- 
traband in  every  sense  in  China,  there  was  never  any 
difficulty  in  running  into  Cumsing-moon,  an  anchorage 
between  Macao  and  Canton,  where  the  receiving-ships 
were.  The  English  men-of-war  frequently  anchored 
there,  as  it  was  below  the  very  narrow  passage  to  the 
Canton  River,  defended  by  the  strong  "  Bogue"  forts. 
This  narrow  place  was  called  the  "  Bocca  Tigris,"  or 
Tiger's  Mouth,  and  the  forts  were  captured  by  the 
English  during  their  first  war  with  China. 

The  receiving-ships  were  what  are  called  hulks,  or 
old  ships  with  the  masts  taken  out,  and  then  roofed 
over  with  a  thatch  of  rice-straw  or  mats  laid  on  bamboo 
rafters.  On  the  main  deck  was  a  strong  grated  room, 
for  the  opium,  and  an  office,  with  a  large  and  commo- 
dious cabin.  The  kitchen  and  dining-room  were  on  the 
upper  deck,  under  the  mat  or  thatched  roof.  There 
was  always  a  pretty  strong  force  of  men  on  board  these 
hulks,  as  much  to  resist  any  sudden  piratical  attack  as 
those  of  the  Chinese  government  boats.  The  latter,  or 
"  mandarin"  boats,  never,  in  fact,  troubled  the  opium 
hulks, — where  they  were  likely  to  get  a  warm  reception, 
— but  contented  themselves  with  lying  in  wait  in  the 
creeks  and  among  the  islands,  endeavoring  to  cut  off 
the  smuggling  boats,  which  came  to  the  hulks  at  night 

2* 


18  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

to  purchase  opium.  The  hulks  had,  generally,  many 
thousand  dollars'  worth  of  opium  on  board,  as  well  as 
silver  received  for  the  drug.  It  required,  therefore,  a 
firm  and  wide-awake  man  to  command  one,  and  to  take 
care  of  the  property  entrusted  to  him  by  the  large  Eng- 
lish firms  which  carried  on  the  business.  I  have  often 
thought  since  how  easy  it  would  have  been  for  the  man- 
darin boats  to  burn  one  of  these  ships ;  but  I  do  not 
remember  that  such  a  thing  ever  took  place.  Perhaps 
the  mandarin  boats  got  "  black-mail"  from  the  smug- 
glers,— or  thought  they  would  miss  the  plunder  derived 
from  an  occasional  capture, — and  did  not  like  to  kill 
the  goose  which  laid  the  golden  egg. 

The  silver,  which  was  always  received  for  opium, 
was  principally  "  sycee,"  as  it  was  called.  Much  of  it 
was  in  irregular  lumps  and  pellets,  and  stamped  with  its 
weight  and  fineness.  Sometimes  it  was  cast  into  differ- 
ent shapes, — a  favorite  one  being  a  little  shoe,  with  a 
pointed  toe,  turned  up, — and  from  the  size  of  a  charm 
for  the  watch-guard  to  three  inches  long.  There  was 
also  a  good  deal  of  what  were  called  "chop"  dollars. 
At  that  time  they  were  always  "  pillar"  or  "  Carolus" 
Spanish  coins,  and  were  stamped  by  almost  every  one 
whose  hands  they  had  passed  through  with  queer  little 
Chinese  characters,  until  they  were  cut  and  crushed  out 
of  all  resemblance  to  coin,  and  so  ragged  that  they  had 
to  be  melted  into  ingots.  Afterwards,  when  "  pillar" 
dollars  grew  scarce,  Mexican  dollars  began  to  be  used 
in  China.  Now,  the  United  States  coin  a  "  trade 
dollar"  especially  intended  for  China.  Gold  coins  do 
not  circulate  there,  although  they  do  in  Japan. 

Every  opium  hulk,  and,  indeed,  every  mercantile 


ADRIFT  ON  THE    WORLD.  19 

establishment  of  importance,  had  a  "shroff."  This 
shroff  was  generally  an  old  man,  lean  and  withered, 
with  huge  round  eye-glasses  fastened  by  a  cord  behind 
his  head,  and  his  thin  gray  "  pigtail"  sticking  out  from 
under  a  little  skull-cap.  It  is  his  business  to  weigh 
the  bullion  received,  and  especially  to  test  the  dollars. 
The  rapidity  and  certainty  with  which  he  counts  the 
dollars,  and  throws  aside  the  counterfeit  and  doubtful 
ones,  is  marvellous.  Sometimes,  when  in  doubt,  he 
pauses  for  a  second,  chinks  the  piece  on  the  next  one, 
gives  one  feel  between  the  finger  and  thumb,  and  then 
away  the  piece  goes, — generally  into  the  counterfeit  pile. 
Opium  is  generally  sent  from  Patna  or  Benares  to 
Calcutta,  ready  prepared  for  the  market.  It  is  very 
different  in  appearance  from  the  Turkey  opium  sent  to 
the  western  countries,  being  almost  black,  coarse  smell- 
ing, and  sticky.  It  is  made  up  in  balls  about  the  size 
of  a  Dutch  cheese.  Poppy-leaves,  plastered  on  the 
outside  by  the  sticky  juice,  form  a  sort  of  cover  to  the 
ball.  Each  "chest"  contains  forty  balls,  which  are 
worth  about  fourteen  hundred  rupees,  or  about  seven 
hundred  dollars.  The  opium-trade  was  most  lucrative, 
and  many  of  the  great  fortunes  made  in  China  and 
India  were  derived  from  it.  Of  course,  from  my  mode 
of  life  and  from  my  youth,  the  "  opium  war,"  as  it  was 
called,  made  but  little  impression  upon  me.  But  it 
was  principally  carried  on  in  the  Canton  waters ;  and 
I  remember  to  have  seen  the  "Blenheim,"  the  big 
English  flag-ship,  being  towed  by  two  paddle-wheel 
steamers,  then  a  great  novelty  in  that  part  of  the  world. 
I  think  the  latter  were  called  the  "  Queen"  and  "  Nem- 
esis," and  they  carried  the  flag  of  the  East  India 


20  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

Company,  which  at  that  time  had  an  army  and  navy 
of  its  own. 

The  sights  which  so  attract  strangers  on  their  first 
arrival  in  Chinese  waters  had  been  familiar  to  me  from 
infancy,  and  so  I  have  no  recollection  of  them  except 
in  a  general  way.  In  fact,  at  that  period  of  my  life 
the  world  appeared  to  me  to  be  peopled  with  men  more 
or  less  yellow  or  brown,  and  a  few  white  men  to  take 
command  and  "  horse"  them,  as  we  sailors  say. 

But  if  I  am  ever  to  get  on,  and  tell  of  some  of  the 
vicissitudes  through  which  I  have  since  passed,  it  is 
time  I  should  leave  this  part  of  my  life. 

By  the  time  I  was  fifteen  I  had  the  groundwork  of 
an  English  education  and  some  knowledge  of  naviga- 
tion, acquired  from  my  father.  He  was  in  many  re- 
spects a  good  man,  but,  like  many  men  in  his  position 
in  those  days,  he  drank  pretty  hard,  although  seldom 
enough  to  unfit  him  for  duty.  About  this  time  a 
banking-house  in  Calcutta,  with  which  he  had  deposited 
the  earnings  of  many  years,  failed,  causing  him  to  lose 
nearly  five  thousand  pounds.  The  partners  absconded, 
having  made  away  with  everything.  After  receiving 
this  news  my  poor  father  drank  harder,  and  died  of 
fever,  after  a  few  days'  illness,  in  the  new  town  of 
Hong-Kong,  then  building  by  the  English,  and  he  was 
buried  in  "  Happy  Valley,"  where  so  many  English- 
men have  preceded  and  followed  him.  Hong-Kong, 
now  a  large  and  thriving  city,  was  a  most  deadly  place 
during  the  early  years  of  its  settlement, — it  is  said 
from  the  turning  up  of  the  soil  to  form  the  terraces  on 
which  it  is  built,  as  well  as  from  the  great  heat  there. 

The  agents  of  our  owners  were  very  kind,  but  could 


ADRIFT  ON  THE    WORLD.  21 

do  little  more  than  pay  my  mother  the  balance  of 
wages  due  my  father  at  the  time  of  his  death,  and 
offer  us  a  passage  to  Calcutta  in  the  brig.  This  my 
mother  accepted,  partly  in  the  hope  of  rescuing  some- 
thing from  the  estate  of  the  bankrupt  bankers,  and 
partly  with  a  design  to  get  back  to  England,  where 
she  had  a  brother  living  in  pretty  good  circumstances. 
We  accordingly  sailed  from  Hong- Kong  in  August, 
and  had  only  been  out  two  days  when  the  southwest 
monsoon  failed,  and  we  had  calms  and  baffling  airs. 
Though  there  was  a  heavy  swell,  the  surface  of  the 
water  was  gray  and  greasy-looking,  and  did  not  break. 
There  was  an  oppressive  feeling  in  the  air,  as  if  the 
clouds,  or  the  haze  which  took  the  place  of  clouds,  was 
too  low,  and  a  dull  rustling  and  moaning  seemed 
to  come  from  the  sea.  The  former  mate  of  the 
"  Hooghly,"  who  had  been  promoted  to  her  command 
on  my  poor  father's  death,  was  an  old  navigator  in 
those  seas,  and  proceeded  to  make  "all  snug"  for  a 
"typhoon."  Our  main  try-sail,  and  fore  and  main 
top-mast  stay-sails  were  unbent  and  sent  below,  and 
storm-sails  bent  in  their  place.  The  top-gallant  masts 
were  sent  on  deck,  and  all  the  studding-sails  and 
gear,  from  the  tops,  were  sent  below,  and  the  top-sails 
and  fore-sail  were  set,  close  reefed.  The  hatches  were 
"battened"  down,  by  nailing  tarpaulins  over  them; 
and  the  water-casks,  spars,  boats,  and  everything  mov- 
able, about  the  decks,  were  secured  by  double  lash- 
ings. After  rolling  about  all  the  afternoon  and  even- 
ing, the  typhoon  struck  us  about  eleven  o'clock  at 
night,  from  the  southwest.  Fortunately,  we  were  then 
heading  about  north,  and  so  we  got  her  off  before  it. 


22  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

The  first  squall  struck  us  "  butt  end  foremost,"  as  the 
sailors  say ;  but,  fortunately,  nothing  parted,  and  we 
scudded  under  the  close-reefed  top-sails  and  fore- sail. 
The  wind  seemed  to  scoop  the  water  up  and  blow  it 
before  it  with  amazing  force,  but  during  the  height  of 
the  gale  the  sea  was  quite  smooth,  the  wind  blowing 
too  hard  for  the  waves  to  rise  much.  It  was  not  very 
dark,  and  we  could  see  a  small  Portuguese  "  Lorcha," 
or  native  schooner,  which  had  been  in  close  company 
all  day,  caught  on  her  broadside  by  the  first  burst, 
after  which  we  did  not  see  her  again.  She  was  no 
doubt  capsized,  and  sank  at  once.  We  could  not  assist 
them,  of  course,  having  as  much  as  we  could  do  to  take 
care  of  ourselves,  especially  during  the  first  furious 
burst.  Towards  morning  the  wind  blew  harder,  if 
possible,  with  terrific  squalls,  during  each  of  which  the 
wind  would  shift  a  little  to  the  northward.  At  day- 
light, if  one  could  call  a  lurid,  thick  atmosphere,  "  as 
thick  as  pea-soup,"  daylight,  the  wind  was  round  to 
about  north,  and  we,  having  had  all  the  sails  blown 
away,  had  nothing  to  do  but  watch  the  wind  and  scud 
before  it.  Thus  we  were  driving  in  a  circle,  perfectly 
at  the  cyclone's  mercy,  and  only  too  glad  to  have  a 
tight  hull  under  our  feet.  We  passed  one  large  ship, 
hove  to,  on  the  starboard  tack,  and,  apparently,  making 
good  weather,  but  we  saw  nothing  else  that  day. 
About  the  same  time,  while  holding  on  under  the 
weather  bulwarks,  aft,  and  looking  out  as  well  as  we 
could  for  the  sharp  salt-drift,  which  cut  our  faces  like 
knives,  in  one  fearful  squall  the  brig  almost  "  broached 
to,"  and  we  saw  our  starboard  quarter  boat,  a  clinker- 
built  gig,  lifted  bodily  away  from  the  davits,  and  borne 


ADRIFT  ON  THE    WORLD.  23 

across  our  quarter-deck  and  away  to  leeward,  like  chaff. 
I  suppose  the  boat's  falls  and  lashings  had  been  chafed 
off;  but,  at  any  rate,  the  boat  blew  clear  over  the  brig. 
This  event  made  little  impression  at  the  time,  so  fear- 
ful was  the  hurricane  through  which  we  were  driving, 
with  no  guide  except  to  keep  the  wind  astern.  But  in 
Blinking  of  it  since,  it  appeared  to  me  the  best  proof  I 
could  give  of  the  power  of  the  wind.  It  must  have 
been  about  eight  P.M.  (at  any  rate,  after  dark),  and  as  we 
were  heading  to  the  northwest,  that  the  vessel  suddenly 
struck  with  great  violence,  both  masts  going  over  the 
side  instantly.  Fortunately,  all  hands  had  long  been 
congregated  on  the  quarter-deck,  and  as  the  masts  fell 
forward  of  the  beam,  no  one  was  injured.  The  sea 
had  had  a  chance  to  rise  as  the  intervals  between  the 
squalls  became  greater,  and  a  great  sea  soon  lifted  us 
over  what  appeared  to  be  a  sand-bar.  This  same  sea 
came  on  board,  and  carried  off  three  or  four  of  the 
Lascars,  who  had  not  heeded  the  warning  to  secure 
themselves.  In  a  few  moments  the  vessel  struck  again, 
but  not  so  hard,  and  it  was  evident  that  we  were  in  the 
breakers.  The  brig  was  in  ballast,  and  light,  so  the 
sea  forced  her  higher  and  higher  up,  swinging  her 
round,  broadside  to,  and  she  fell  over  towards  the 
beach,  thus  forming  a  partial  protection  against  the 
water,  which  still  broke  over  us  at  intervals.  The 
"  Hooghly"  was  built  for  hard  service,  and  was  very 
strong,  so  she  held  together  pretty  well.  We  were  all 
lashed  on  the  quarter-deck,  my  poor  mother  being  as- 
sisted by  the  captain  and  mates.  Fortunately,  it  was  m 
not  cold.  A  bottle  of  arrack  and  some  jaggery,  or  ^/y^I 
coarse  Malay  sugar,  we  managed  to  get  from  the  stew-  « 


24  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

ard's  pantry,  before  everything  below  was  washed  out. 
My  mother  was  given  some  of  this,  and  the  rest  had  a 
few  drops  each.  It  was  one  of  the  longest  nights  I 
ever  passed ;  but  before  morning  the  gale  had  broken, 
and  we  felt  that  our  lives  were  saved  if  we  could  only 
obtain  assistance.  As  day  broke  we  could  see  we  were 
in  a  sandy  bay,  with  headlands  of  rocks.  Soon  aftef 
sunrise  some  people  appeared  on  the  beach  at  the  head 
of  the  bay,  where  a  furious  surf  was  still  beating.  After 
discovering  us  they  went  off,  but  soon  returned  in  in- 
creased numbers  with  some  bullock  carts.  We  could 
see  that  some  of  them  were  armed  with  spears,  and  we 
began  to  fear  that  we  had  been  mistaken  as  to  our  course 
during  the  gale,  and  that  we  had  been  driven  on  the 
coast  of  the  Formosan  barbarians.  However,  they 
soon  went  to  a  sheltered  cove  on  one  side  of  the  bay 
and  launched  a  large  boat,  carrying  about  twenty  men, 
and  came  along  side,  between  us  and  the  beach,  shout- 
ing, in  Fo-Kien  dialect,  for  us  to  make  no  resistance 
or  we  would  be  speared.  It  was  not  likely  that  such 
exhausted  wretches  as  we  were  would  make  any  resist- 
ance. Indeed,  we  were  but  too  glad  to  have  any  aid. 
Our  cook  and  steward  were  Canton  men,  and  answered 
in  the  same  dialect,  and  soon  discovered  that  we  had 
been  driven  into  a  bay  on  the  south  coast  of  the  great 
island  of  Hainan,  and,  as  they  afterwards  told  us,  in 
the  only  place  for  many  miles  where  we  could  have 
touched  the  shore  without  being  ground  to  pieces  at 
once  on  the  rocks.  I  have  since  had  occasion  to  notice 
how  often  vessels  about  to  be  wrecked  seem  to  have  se- 
lected for  them  sandy  bays,  with  rocks  far  and  near  on 
each  side.  The  reason  appears  to  me  to  be  that  the 


ADRIFT  ON  THE    WORLD.  25 

current  sets  into  such  indentations,  and  is  repelled  from 
the  rock-bound  coasts.  The  people  of  Hainan  have 
had  rather  a  bad  reputation  as  wreckers  and  pirates, 
but  they  are  by  no  means  so  black  as  they  are  painted, 
and  in  the  course  of  the  morning  they  landed  us  all. 
We  were  taken  to  a  group  of  houses  not  far  off,  belong- 
ing to  fishermen,  where  we  had  fires  to  dry  our  clothes, 
and  a  good  meal  of  rice,  tea,  salt  fish,  and  a  little  "sam- 
shu,"  a  strong  rice  spirit.  After  a  night  spent  on  good 
mats,  with  bamboo  pillows  and  quilted  cotton  cover- 
lids, my  mother  and  the  rest  of  us  were  able  to  walk 
a  couple  of  miles,  to  a  town  called  "  Yai',"  where  an 
inferior  mandarin  was  found.  The  captain  bargained 
with  him  to  send  us  back  to  Hong-Kong  in  a  junk 
which  belonged  to  the  island,  and  was  commanded  by 
a  half-breed  Portuguese,  from  Macao,  called  Da  Souza. 
This  man  had  formerly  known  my  father,  and  he  gave 
my  mother  his  cabin,  while  the  rest  of  us  slept  where 
we  could  about  deck.  The  captain,  with  the  mate  and 
Chinese  steward,  remained  behind  to  look  after  the 
wreck,  the  mandarin  promising  him  assistance.  "We 
were  to  send  a  man-of-war  over  from  Hong-Kong,  and 
they  had  hopes  that  the  Chinese  would  not  suspect  the 
presence  of  the  treasure-chest,  which  was  in  the  vessel's 
run,  and  deep  buried  in  the  sand.  In  this  they  were 
mistaken,  for  we  afterwards  heard  that,  as  soon  as  we 
were  gone,  the  steward  told  the  natives  of  the  silver  on 
board  the  wreck,  and  they  managed  to  fish  it  up.  Our 
voyage  only  lasted  three  days,  and  upon  our  report  a 
man-of-war  brig  at  once  sailed,  only  to  find  on  her 
arrival  that  the  silver  was  gone.  The  mandarin  pro- 
fessed ignorance,  and  as  the  captain  had  said  nothing 
B  3 


26  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

to  him  of  the  treasure, — hoping  thereby  to  more  effectu- 
ally conceal  it, — there  was  nothing  to  be  done.  The 
steward  had  disappeared,  and  the  captain  and  mate  had 
only  to  embark  for  Hong-Kong ;  and  so  this  was  the 
last  of  the  "  Hooghly." 

The  exposure  of  this  shipwreck,  and  her  grief  at  my 
father's  death,  prostrated  my  poor  mother  on  her  ar- 
rival at  Hong-Kong,  and  she  soon  solved  all  her 
troubles  by  dying  of  fever  and  going  to  join  my  father 
in  "  Happy  Valley."  There  was  enough  left  of  my 
father's  wages,  which  my  mother  had  carried  about 
her,  to  bury  her,  and  I  was  left  with  about  fifteen  shil- 
lings and  a  few  clothes  which  the  Parsee  firm  gave  me. 
There  was  no  berth  for  me  in  their  vessels,  for  I  was 
not  old  enough  to  go  as  mate ;  and  their  crews  consisted 
entirely  of  Lascars,  and  I  could  not  live  with  them.  In 
fact,  I  was  completely  adrift  on  the  world.  I  had  never 
known  any  other  relations  than  my  parents,  and  I  had 
very  few  acquaintances,  and  still  fewer  friends. 


CHAPTER    III. 

I   ENLIST   IN   THE  AMERICAN   NAVY,  AND  GO   TO  THE 
UNITED  STATES. 

AT  this  time,  while  I  was  still  living  at  the  "  goclown," 
or  store-houses,  of  Cursetjee's  agents,  an  American  sloop- 

of-war,  named  the  F ,  came  into  Hong-Kong,  and 

I  made  acquaintance  with  some  of  her  crew,  who  were 
on  shore  on  "  liberty."  One  of  her  "  petty  officers," 
named  Erie  Kemp,  who  was  captain  of  the  forecastle, 
appeared  to  take  a  great  fancy  to  me ;  and,  when  he 
heard  my  story,  proposed  to  me  to  go  off  on  board  the 
sloop  and  try  to  "  ship,"  saying  that  he  would  take  me 
for  his  " chicken."  I  liked  the  idea;  for,  although  the 
Parsees  were  kind  enough,  I  did  not  like  the  idea  of 
living  about  their  kitchen  and  on  their  bounty.  Ac- 
cordingly, Erie  and  I  went  off  to  the  ship  in  a  "  sam- 
pan," or  small  native  boat,  Erie  saying  that  he  would 
have  me  shipped  if  he  could,  and  then  go  on  shore 
again,  for  the  rest  of  his  forty-eight  hours'  liberty,  and 
"  have  his  drunk  out."  In  those  days  liberty  was  not 
often  given  to  man-of-war's  men,  and  when  it  was,  they 
were  rather  expected  to  get  drunk.  On  nearing  the 
ship,  which  lay  down  near  "  Green  Point,"  rows  of 
grinning  faces  appeared  on  the  top-gallant  forecastle 
and  about  the  ports  ;  for  the  word  was  quickly  passed 
that  Erie  Kemp  was  coming  off  "  clean  and  sober,"  and 
before  his  liberty  was  half  up.  This  was  so  far  from 

27 


28  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

Erie's  usual  wont,  that  it  excited  surprise  and  curiosity. 
Even  the  staid  "officer  of  the  deck"  arrested  his 
measured  pace,  and,  ascending  the  "  horse-block,"  took 
the  glass  from  the  quartermaster  to  verify  for  himself 
the  unusual  report  that  "  Erie  Kemp,  captain  of  the 
forecastle,  was  coming  off  in  a  shore  boat,  sir, — don't 
appear  noways  drunk,  sir, — and  has  a  lad  with  him, 
sir !"  In  fact,  it  appeared  hard  to  tell  whether  most 
astonishment  was  caused  by  old  Kemp's  coming  off, 
voluntarily,  before  his  first  day's  liberty  was  up,  or  at 
his  coming  off  in  a  state  of  comparative  sobriety.  In 
those  days  "general  liberty"  was  always  followed  by 
rewards  offered  for  many  of  the  men ;  the  local  police 
reaping  a  rich  harvest  from  those  who  had  overstayed 
their  time.  These  were  generally  hopelessly  intoxi- 
cated, and  were  either  found  in  some  low  grog-shop, 
or  had  been  locked  up  in  the  "  calaboose"  (as  sailors 
call  all  jails)  for  riotous  conduct.  These  men  were 
generally  stripped,  not  only  of  their  money,  but  the 
most  of  their  clothes,  and  so  had  to  be  brought  on 
board  most  pitiable  objects,  with  some  old  rags  of  cloth- 
ing, black  eyes,  bloody  noses,  and  cut  heads.  Going  on 
the  port  side,  and  the  fact  that  we  were  there  having 
been  reported  by  the  sentry  to  the  corporal  of  the  guard, 
and  by  the  corporal  of  the  guard  to  the  officer  of  the 
deck,  we  were  permitted  to  go  on  board.  We  went  to 
the  fife-rail,  by  the  main-mast, — the  forward  limit  of  the 
quarter-deck, — which  is  forbidden  to  all  sailors,  except 
those  called  there  by  duty.  Even  then  they  must  pass 
aft  on  the  port  side  if  at  anchor,  or  on  the  lee  side  when 
under  weigh.  If  a  sailor  wants  to  make  a  report  or  a 
complaint,  he  goes  to  "  the  mast,"  and  stands  there  until 


ENLISTMENT  IN  THE  AMERICAN  NAVY.        29 

the  officer  of  the  deck  sees  him  and  comes  to  him.  The 
officer  on  this  occasion  was  a  stout  pleasant-looking 
man,  who  soon  found  out  what  Kemp's  business  was, 
and  calling  a  midshipman,  he  sent  him  down  to  tell 
the  first  lieutenant  that  a  boy  was  at  the  mast  who 
-wanted  to  ship.  The  midshipman  returned  soon  to  say 
that  the  first  lieutenant  was  down  inspecting  the  fore- 
hold,  but  would  be  up  directly.  Presently  he  made  his 
appearance,  and  Kemp  promptly  pulling  off  his  hat.  I 
followed  suit.  At  first  the  officer  seemed  disappointed 
when  I  told  him  my  age,  for  I  looked  older  than  I  really 
was ;  but  when  he  found  that  I  had  been  brought  up 
at  sea,  he  asked  me  many  questions  about  myself,  as  to 
whether  I  had  run  away  from  some  ship,  what  right  I 
had  to  enlist,  and  so  forth.  Seeming  satisfied  at  last, 
he  told  the  officer  of  the  deck  to  send  me  down  to  the 
"  sick-bay"  to  "  pass  the  doctor."  The  doctor,  who 
proved  to  be  the  assistant  surgeon,  soon  appeared,  and 
sent  me  behind  a  screen  to  take  off  my  clothes,  after 
writing  down  my  age,  birthplace,  and  name.  Then 
he  looked  at  and  punched  me  all  over, — made  me  cough, 
walk,  kick,  and  strike, — looked  at  my  eyes  and  teeth, 
— and  finally  said,  "  Well,  I  pass  you."  I  was  very 
glad,  for  I  had  begun  to  think  there  must  be  something 
very  bad  the  matter  with  me,  as  he  was  so  long  about 
it.  He  then  entered  my  height,  complexion,  color  of 
hair,  etc.,  and  went  away.  I  was  soon  sent  for  to  the 
ward-room,  where  the  first  lieutenant  had  spread  out 
on  the  table  a  large  sheet  of  paper,  with  many  headings 
and  columns,  all  in  type.  From  this  he  read  to  me  for 
a  minute,  but  I  was  so  embarrassed  by  the  novelty  of 
the  surroundings  that  I  did  not  understand  much,  ex- 

3* 


30  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

cept  that  it  was  the  enlistment-sheet,  by  signing  which 
I  bound  myself  to  serve  as  first-class  boy  in  the  United 
States  navy  for  three  years,  unless  sooner  discharged. 
After  I  had  signed  the  paper,  the  officer  sent  for  the 
purser's  steward,  and  ordered  me  the  necessary  outfit 
of  clothing.  As  Kemp  had  brought  me  on  board,  and 
was  evidently  going  to  make  a  "  chicken"  of  me,  he 
allowed  me  to  be  put  into  the  same  mess,  with  the  cau- 
tion that  I  was  not  to  be  made  "  steady  cook."  This 
mess  consisted  mostly  of  petty  officers,  who  are  gener- 
ally old  man-of-war's  men.  He  also  told  me  to  sell 
my  shore  clothes  to  the  bumboat-man,  as  no  enlisted 
man  in  the  navy  is  allowed  to  possess  any  citizen's 
clothing.  My  new  rig,  being  "  slops,"  or  ready-made, 
did  not  fit  me  very  well;  but  Kemp,  when  he  came 
back  from  "  liberty"  and  got  sober,  set  to  work  and 
remade  all  my  trousers  and  shirts,  so  that  I  was  soon 
the  neatest-looking  lad  on  board.  Being  tall  and  stout 
I  held  my  own  with  the  rest  of  the  youngsters,  too,  as 
regards  "hazing"  or  bullying.  From  my  nautical 
breeding  no  ship  could  seem  very  strange,  but  the  life 
was  so  entirely  different  from  that  on  board  a  merchant 
vessel,  that  it  was  some  time  before  I  got  used  to  it. 

When  "  liberty"  was  over,  and  all  the  stragglers  and 
delinquents  had  been  got  on  board  by  the  efforts  of  our 
midshipmen  and  the  marine  sergeants  and  corporals, 
assisted  by  the  shore  police,  there  were  at  least  twenty 
men  in  irons,  or  in  the  "  brig,"  as  the  place  of  confine- 
ment is  called  in  a  man-of-war. 

One  fine  morning,  after  divers  visits,  salutes,  and 
ceremonies,  we  got  under  way,  and  stood  out  of  Hong- 
Kong  and  away  to  the  southward,  down  the  China  Sea, 


ENLISTMENT  IN   THE  AMERICAN  NAVF.        31 

with  the  northeast  monsoon.  When  once  fairly  at  sea, 
all  hands  were  called  to  "  witness  punishment,"  and 
what  was  called  "clear  the  brig."  In  those  days  flog- 
ging was  still  the  usual  punishment  in  the  navy.  The 
United  States  Congress  abolished  it  in  1850. 

The  ship  was  running  off  before  the  northeast  mon- 
soon, with  the  port  foretop-mast  studding-sail  set,  and 
going  about  nine  knots,  with  merely  an  occasional 
lee  lurch  and  weather  roll,  to  remind  us  that  she  was 
moving  briskly  on  her  course.  At  the  summons  of 
the  boatswain  and  his  mates,  preceded  by  a  long  "  call" 
of  their  pipes,  the  crew  mustered  in  the  port  gangway 
and  about  the  booms  and  main-hatch.  A  midshipman 
informed  the  officers  that  "all  hands  were  called  to 
witness  punishment,"  and  they  soon  appeared  on  the 
weather  side  of  the  quarter-deck,  each  with  his  side- 
arms,  while  the  marines,  with  fixed  bayonets,  were 
drawn  up  on  the  lee  side.  As  soon  as  the  master-at- 
arms  had  reported  "all  hands  up,"  and  the  officer  of 
the  deck  had  seen  that  all  the  officers  were  present,  he 
saluted  the  first  lieutenant,  and  reported  "  everybody 
present."  That  officer  then  ordered  the  master-at-arms 
to  bring  the  prisoners  to  the  mast,  which  he  did,  as- 
sisted by  the  ship's  corporal  and  marine  sentries.  The 
first  lieutenant  then  went  to  the  door  of  the  poop-cabin 
and  announced  to  the  captain  that  all  was  ready.  The 
captain  came  out,  and  proceeding  to  the  forward  verge 
of  the  quarter-deck,  the  prisoners  immediately  pulled 
off  their  caps.  The  captain  then  proceeded  to  harangue 
them,  somewhat  as  follows :  "  Now,  men,  here  you  have 
been  again  disgracing  the  ship  and  yourselves  by  drunk- 
enness, fighting,  and  breaking  your  liberty  in  a  foreign 


32  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

port.  I  ought  to  keep  you  all  in  the  '  brig'  for  a  month, 
and  then  give  you  a  dozen  all  round.  But  I  don't  care 
to  make  the  well-behaved  men  do  your  duty  while  you 
are  in  confinement,  so  I  intend  to  give  the  old  offenders 
a  dozen,  and  let  those  who  have  not  been  under  pun- 
ishment before  go  with  a  caution."  He  then  took  a 
list  from  the  first  lieutenant,  and,  looking  it  over,  said, 
"  John  Peters ;"  whereupon  Peters,  a  great  hulking 
foretopman,  stepped  forward  a  pace,  looking  particu- 
larly sheepish.  "Now,  Peters,  whenever  there  is  a 
chance  to  get  drunk  and  break  your  liberty  you  do  so. 
I  see  you  have  already  been  punished  four  times  during 
the  cruise.  Strip,  Peters.  Trice  him  up."  The  mas- 
ter-at-arms  thereupon  assisted  the  man  off  with  his 
shirt,  leaving  him  naked  to  the  waist,  but  throwing 
the  garment  loosely  over  his  shoulders.  Removing  the 
port  gangway  ladder,  his  wrists  were  made  fast,  with  a 
lashing,  to  the  brass  man-rope  eyebolts,  and  his  ankles 
to  a  small  grating  laid  on  the  deck.  Thus  standing 
straight  up,  his  arms  were  stretched  considerably  above 
his  head.  The  assistant  surgeon  then  stepped  up  close 
on  one  side  of  the  man  to  see  that  the  punishment  was 
not  excessive.  The  boatswain  had,  in  the  mean  time, 
produced  a  green  baize  bag,  which  contained  the  "  cats.' 
These  consisted  of  a  wooden  handle,  about  fifteen  inches 
long,  covered  with  cloth,  with  nine  tails  of  white  line 
about  as  thick  as  thick  pack-cord,  twenty  inches  long, 
and  the  ends  "  whipped,"  not  knotted.  One  of  these 
cats  was  handed  to  the  chief  boatswain's  mate,  who  was 
mildly  cautioned  by  the  captain  to  "  do  his  duty,  and 
not  favor  the  man,  or  he  would  be  triced  up  himself." 
"Now,  go  on  with  the  punishment."  At  this  the 


ENLISTMENT  IN  THE  AMERICAN  NAVY.         33 

master-at-arms  removed  the  blue  shirt,  and,  as  the 
boatswain's  mate  swung  round  and  brought  the  "  cats" 
down  across  the  man's  shoulders,  the  master-at-arms 
called  out,  aloud,  "One — two,"  and  so  on,  until 
"  twelve,"  when  the  captain  said,  "  Stop.  Take  him 
down.  Now,  Peters,  go  forward,  and  try  to  behave 
vourself."  At  the  first  blow  the  man  winced, — the 

*  ' 

cat  making  a  number  of  bluish-red  streaks  on  his 
white  skin, — but  after  that,  being  well  used  to  "  being 
brought  to  the  gangway,"  he  made  no  sign  of  pain. 

The  next  to  be  "  triced  up"  was  quite  a  young  man, 
an  ordinary  seaman,  who  had  been  very  troublesome 
when  brought  on  board,  and  had  attacked  and  beaten 
the  ship's  corporal  who  was  confining  him.  As  he 
had  managed  to  hurt  the  corporal  a  good  deal,  it  was 
shrewdly  suspected  that  he  was  not  really  so  drunk  as 
he  pretended  to  be,  and  was  merely  satisfying  an  old 
grudge,  intending  to  plead  that  he  did  not  know  what 
he  was  about.  He  was  unused  to  the  cats,  and  the 
first  stinging,  burning  blow  seemed  to  startle  and  alarm 
him.  At  the  second  his  face  and  neck  became  almost 
purple.  At  the  third  he  became  pale  as  death,  and 
began  to  shriek  and  beg  for  mercy.  This  continued 
until  he  had  received  his  "  dozen,"  when  he  was  taken 
down,  his  shirt  thrown  loosely  over  him,  and  he  was 
sent  below. 

I  never  shall  forget  his  face.  It  was  lividly  pale, 
with  a  fixed  stony  look,  and  I  do  not  doubt  that  that 
flogging  had  a  permanent  eifect,  either  for  good  or  evil. 
He  deserted  the  ship  not  long  afterwards. 


B* 


CHAPTER   IV. 

WE  PASS   DOWN  THE   CHINA  AND   JAVA  SEAS. 

Two  or  three  others  were  then  flogged  in  their  turn, 
and  the  rest  of  the  prisoners  dismissed  to  duty,  with 
the  remark  from  the  captain  that  "  he  hoped  the  neces- 
sity for  all  this  would  not  occur  again."  And  so  the 
"  brig  was  cleared."  Turning  to  the  first  lieutenant, 
the  captain  then  said,  "  Pipe  down,  sir."  And,  touching 
his  hat  to  the  assembled  officers,  he  passed  into  his 
cabin.  The  boatswain's  calls  sounded,  the  crew  dis- 
persed, the  marines  were  dismissed,  to  go  below  and 
put  away  their  muskets  and  belts,  and  in  five  minutes 
everything  was  going  on  as  usual. 

No  event  makes  a  very  lasting  impression  on  board 
a  man-of-  war.  A  man  may  fall  from  aloft  and  be 
killed.  He  is  sewed  into  his  hammock,  weighted  at 
the  feet  with  round  shot,  or  kentledge.  A  few  hours 
after,  all  hands  are  called  "  to  bury  the  dead."  The 
main-yard  is  backed  to  deaden  the  ship's  way,  and  the 
body  is  placed  on  a  board  projecting  over  the  gangway, 
with  the  jack  covering  it.  The  chaplain,  if  the  ship 
carries  one,  if  not,  the  captain,  or  some  other  officer, 
reads  the  funeral  service,  and  at  the  words  "  we  com- 
mit his  body, to  the  deep"  the  board  is  tilted,  and  the  re- 
mains strike  the  water  with  a  dull  splash.  Sometimes 
volleys  are  fired  by  the  marine  guard.  This  over,  the 
34 


THE  CHINA   AND  JAVA   SEAS.  35 

order  sharply  comes,  "  Lay  aft  to  the  lee  main-braces  !" 
"  Brace  up  the  main-yard  !  Main-yard's  well !  Brace 
the  upper  yards  !  Upper  yards  are  well !  Pipe  down  ! 
Lay  up  the  rigging  about  the  decks !"  and  little  more 
is  thought  of  the  poor  fellow  who  is  gone,  except,  per- 
haps, by  his  "  chummy,"  who  laments  him  for  a  time, 
but  with  no  outward  show.  The  next  day  after  the 
punishment,  while  still  running  down  before  the 
monsoon,  we  had  a  sale  of  dead  men's  and  deserters' 
clothing.  These  had  been  accumulating  for  some  time, 
and  are  sold  periodically  to  prevent  them  from  spoiling 
by  damp  and  moth,  and  from  occupying  too  much 
room.  They  also  bring  much  better  prices  than  they 
would  on  shore. 

The  master-at-arms  acts  as  auctioneer,  generally  se- 
lecting as  his  rostrum  the  fore-hatch,  and  each  one  bids 
for  the  articles  just  as  at  an  auction  on  shore.  For  a 
very  nice  sou'wester,  or  tarpaulin  coat,  the  bidding 
will  sometimes  mount  ridiculously  high.  There  is 
almost  always  great  competition  for  the  "ditty-bag," 
or  box,  which  contains  the  embroidery  silks,  needles, 
scissors,  writing  materials,  and  other  articles  treasured 
by  sailors.  This  is  generally  sold  without  disclosing 
the  nature  of  its  contents,  and  the  purchase,  therefore, 
has  all  the  excitement  of  a  lottery.  The  successful 
bidder  is  called  upon  to  open  it  at  once,  and  shouts  of 
laughter  greet  him  if  it  is  found  that  he  has  "  made  a 
dry  haul." 

When  an  article  is  purchased  at  these  sales  no  money 
is  paid,  but  the  purser's  steward  takes  a  list,  and  the 
money  is  charged  to  each  purchaser's  account,  while  the 
gross  amount  is  credited  to  the  dead  man's  account, 


36  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

with  his  balance  of  pay.  This  is  paid  to  his  heirs,  if 
he  has  any,  at  the  termination  of  the  cruise. 

I  must  say  I  found  myself  very  happy  and  comfort- 
able in  the  old  F .  I  was  so  well  grown  and  so 

good  a  sailor,  that  the  first  lieutenant  had  stationed  me 
in  the  foretop,  where  another  lad  and  myself  had  es- 
pecially to  look  out  for  and  loose  and  furl  the  fore- 
royal-  and  topgallant-sails,  and  to  run  on  deck  for  the 
captain  of  the  top,  with  errands  to  the  yeoman's  store- 
room for  "  hanks"  of  spun-yarn,  cans  of  Stockholm  tar, 
old  canvas  for  parcellings,  etc.  I  had  also,  as  the 
youngster,  to  keep  the  top-chest  in  order,  which  chest 
contained  a  select  assortment  of  "slush-buckets,"  bits 
of  leather,  marlin-spikes,  small  "  fids,"  rope-yarn,  and 
other  nautical  necessaries,  and  in  addition,  the  cap- 
tain of  the  top's  own  private  stock  of  tobacco,  his 
"  ditty-bag,"  and  one  or  two  tarry  and  greasy  packs  of 
cards,  and  a  piece  of  canvas  with  squares,  painted  on 
it  for  playing  checkers.  The  cards  were  contraband, 
but  the  checkers  were  not.  Sailors  are  very  fond  of 
checkers,  and  often  are  excellent  players. 

Erie  Kemp  did  not  lose  his  interest  in  me,  al- 
though I  was  a  foretopman.  He  put  me  up  to  many 
"  dodges"  for  getting  on  smoothly  and  avoiding  being 
"brought  to  the  mast."  He  also  showed  me  how  to 
lash  my  hammock  properly  with  seven  even  turns,  and 
just  the  size  to  paas  through  a  hoop, — the  test  applied 
to  hammocks  before  they  are  stowed  in  the  nettings. 

The  officers,  generally,  were  a  good  set  and  good 
sailors,  and  the  work  went  well  and  briskly.  I  was 
fortunate  in  being  put  in  the  foretop,  where  I  had  the 
opportunity  of  learning  to  be  smart  aloft :  instead  of  on 


THE   CHINA  AND  JAVA   SEAS.  37 

the  quarter-deck,  where  most  of  the  smaller  boys  were 
stationed  as  messengers.  These  hardly  ever  went  aloft, 
except  when  "  sent  over  the  mast-head"  for  exercise. 

One  of  our  passed  midshipmen  (who  is  now  a  com- 
modore) took  a  fancy  to  me.  His  station  was  on  the 
forecastle,  and  during  his  watches  he  questioned  me 
about  myself.  Finding  that  I  had  a  good  idea  of  navi- 
gation, he  told  me  I  ought  to  try  to  learn  more,  and 
lent  me  a  quadrant  and  a  Bowditch's  "Epitome." 
From  time  to  time  he  gave  me  some  instruction,  and 
made  me  hand  in  a  "  day's  work,"  which  he  corrected, 
generally  having  me  in  the  starboard  steerage  when  the 
rest  of  his  mess  were  on  deck  smoking.  Before  the 
ship  got  home  he  had  given  me  quite  an  insight  into 
lunars  and  chronometer  sights,  and  it  is  from  the  in- 
terest shown  in  me  by  this  excellent  gentleman  that  I 
have  been  able  to  fill  better  positions  than  I  should 
otherwise  have  done.  If  I  had  paid  as  much  attention 
to  his  instruction  in  religious  and  kindred  topics,  it 
would  have  been  better  for  me. 

But  to  return  to  our  cruise.  We  carried  the  mon- 
soon down  past  the  Natunas,  when  the  wind  became 
variable  and  light,  with  occasional  squalls  and  rain. 
We  gradually  worked  south,  however,  and  through  the 
Straits  of  Gaspar  into  the  Java  Sea.  This  was  famil- 
iar ground  to  me,  but  I  think  no  one  can  ever  cease  to 
admire  the  islands,  covered  with  dense  tropical  foliage, 
the  distant  lofty  mountains  of  Java,  or  to  wonder  at 
the  queer  build  and  rig  of  the  Malay  boats  and  prahus. 
At  that  time  piracy  was  still  quite  common  in  these 
waters ;  but  in  the  presence  of  a  man-of-war  the 
prahus  and  their  crews  looked  peaceful  and  innocent 

4 


38  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

as  possible.  The  current  runs  fearfully  through  these 
straits  and  passages,  and  we  lost  a  stream-anchor  and 
hemp  cable  near  "  Thwart-the-way,"  when  we  attempted 
to  bring  to  during  a  calm, — the  rocky  bottom  cutting 
the  cable  in  a  twinkling.  Finally  we  anchored  in 
Anjer  Roads,  twenty-one  days  from  Hong-Kong.  An- 
jer  is  a  village  of  Java,  situated  on  the  sea-shore,  near 
the  Straits  of  Sunda.  It  is  a  favorite  place  for  vessels 
to  touch  at  for  water,  wood,  fowls,  fruit,  etc.  There 
is  a  small  bastioned  fort,  a  commandant's  house, — who 
has  a  company  of  Dutch  soldiers  for  garrison, — and  a 
noble  banian-tree,  in  the  midst  of  a  bamboo  village, 
inhabited  by  Malays  and  Chinese  settlers.  There  is 
also  a  fine  cocoanut-grove,  down  through  which  is  led 
a  stream  of  excellent  water  from  the  mountains,  and 
afterwards  conducted  to  the  beach  by  a  little  aqueduct 
of  wood.  The  next  morning  after  our  arrival  we  got 
out  the  launch  and  first  cutter,  and,  putting  the  casks 
into  them,  proceeded  on  shore  to  commence  the  opera- 
tion of  watering  ship.  The  casks  were  soon  got  on  the 
beach ;  well  rinsed  and  filled,  and  the  bungs  driven 
hard  in.  They  were  then  rolled  into  the  water  and 
lashed  together  into  a  raft,  when  the  boats  slowly  towed 
them  alongside.  They  were  then  whipped  on  deck, 
with  much  stamping  of  men  and  whistling  of  boat- 
swain's calls,  and  the  water  "  started"  down  to  the  tanks 
below  by  a  hose. 

The  next  proceeding  was  to  lay  in  a  supply  of  fire- 
wood ;  and  a  "  wood-barking  gang"  was  sent  on  shore, 
in  charge  of  two  midshipmen,  to  bark  and  pound 
every  bit  of  wood  which  was  to  come  on  board.  This 
is  a  necessary  precaution  in  most  warm  countries,  for  it 


THE   CHINA   AND  JAVA  SEAS.  39 

not  only  prevents  dirt  and  decaying  bark  from  getting 
into  the  hold,  but  it  also  starts  out  all  the  scorpions  and 
centipedes  which  are  sure  to  have  harbored  there.  I 
never  knew  the  sting  of  these  pests  to  kill  any  one ; 
but  it  is  very  painful,  causing  sickness  and  sometimes 
an  ugly  sore. 

I  don't  know  anything  more  impudent  or  "  cocky" 
than  a  fine  lively  scorpion  just  shaken  out  of  a  hole  in 
a  log.  Running  round  "  crab-fashion,"  with  his  tail 
and  sting  curved  over  his  back,  he  puts  one  in  mind 
of  an  Irishman  at  a  fair  imploring  somebody  to  tread 
on  the  tail  of  his  coat  and  "  spoiling  for  a  fight." 

The  centipede  is  more  quiet  and  business-like,  and 
will  let  you  alone  if  you  will  let  him  alone.  But  it  is 
no  joke  to  strike  at  one  running  over  you  and  have  his 
numerous  claws  dug  deep  into  the  skin.  They  are  often 
eight  or  nine  inches  long. 

Sailors  are  always  ready  for  any  work  which  takes 
them  on  shore  and  out  of  the  routine  of  the  ship,  and 
so  a  wood-barking  party  is  always  welcome.  There  is 
also,  for  many,  the  chance  of  getting  grog  smuggled  to 
them  by  some  loafer  or  other ;  and  the  officer  in  charge 
has  to  keep  his  eyes  open,  while  even  then  he  frequently 
brings  back  one  or  more  of  his  men  helplessly  drunk 
in  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  and  is  safe  to  get  a  good 
blowing-up  from  the  first  lieutenant  in  consequence. 

In  two  or  three  days  we  had  all  the  wood  and  water 
on  board,  and  the  next  morning  was  fixed  for  sailing. 
The  ship  had  been  overrun  all  the  time  by  Malays  and 
Chinamen  selling  all  manner  of  things.  Shells,  feathers, 
Malay  creeses,  monkeys,  tiny  Java  deer,  parrots,  mina- 
birds,  Java  sparrows,  avadovats,  love-birds,  and  nion- 


40  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

gooses,  jaggery,  or  coarse  native  sugar,  in  cakes,  yams, 
and  fruit  of  all  kinds,  especially  bananas,  pine-apples, 
mangoes,  oranges,  mangosteens,  and  durians,  and  cocoa- 
nuts,  young  and  full  of  milk,  which  were  rafted  off, 
much  as  our  casks  of  water  were,  by  Malays  in  tiny 
canoes. 

Much  Dutch  gin  and  arrack  was  also  smuggled  on 
board,  in  skins  and  bladders,  and  some  drunkenness  and 
disorder  followed,  giving  full  employment  to  the  police 
of  the  ship. 

When,  at  sunset,  all  -was  ready  for  sea,  and  the  mas- 
ter-at-arms  was  sent  to  "  see  all  strangers  out  of  the 
ship,"  we  were  like  a  floating  menagerie.  Being  home- 
ward bound,  the  officers  and  men  were  allowed  to  bring 
on  board  any  pets  they  pleased.  There  were  monkeys 
and  parrots  without  number  and  of  all  sizes,  two  or 
three  mongooses/many  cages  of  birds ;  and  the  captain 
had  a  pair  of  the  beautiful  Java  deer,  whose  bodies  are 
not  so  large  as  a  rabbit's.  These  did  not  live  long,  nor 
did  most  of  the  other  pets,  from  crowding  and  want  of 
proper  food.  There  were  strings  of  cocoanuts,  nets  of 
yams  and  oranges,  and  bunches  of  bananas  and  plan- 
tains hung  under  the  forecastle  and  on  the  main-stay, 
the  boat's  spans,  and  at  every  other  available  place ; 
and  on  these,  for  the  first  few  days,  the  ship's  boys  and 
an  occasional  loose  monkey  fairly  revelled.  Then  the 
coops  were  filled  with  fowls,  and  extra  crates  of  them 
were  stowed  on  the  booms;  ducks  were  under  the 
launch,  while  kids  and  China  pigs  ran  about  loose. 
In  fact,  as  the  chief  boatswain's  mate  expressed  it, 
"  the  ship  was  a  regular  hurrah's  nest." 


CHAPTER    V. 

HOMEWARD   BOUND. 

i 

AT  daylight  all  hands  were  called  "  up  anchor,"  the 
messenger  was  passed,  and  the  capstan-bars  manned. 
The  fifer  struck  up  "  Homeward  Bound,"  and  with  a 
stamp  and  go  the  anchor  was  soon  at  the  bows. 

With  a  light  breeze  and  fair  tide  we  soon  passed 
Prince's  Bay  and  Java  Head,  and  were  feeling  the  long 
swell  of  the  great  Indian  Ocean,  our  next  point  being 
Cape  Town. 

Drills  at  the  great  guns  and  small  arms,  and  the  or- 
dinary routine  of  the  ship,  were  once  more  resumed. 
We  sighted  the  Cocos  Islands,  a  long  way  off, — seem- 
ing like  cocoanut-groves  growing  out  of  the  water, — 
and  after  that  saw  no  land  for  many  long  days.  Few 
vessels  were  seen  either,  for  we  were  out  of  the  track 
of  eastern-bound  ships. 

As  I  said  before,  the  pets  soon  began  to  drop  off.  I 
was  much  interested  in  one  large  female  monkey,  with 
a  young  one,  which  had  been  brought  on  board  in  the 
wicker  trap  in  which  they  were  caught.  They  were 
kept  on  top  of  the  boom  cover,  and  it  was  most  curious 
to  see  how  the  mother-monkey  fed  the  little  one  from 
her  cheek-pouches,  and  washed  her  baby  with  water 
from  a  cocoanut  shell,  polishing  it  off  with  her  hairy 
arm.  The  mother  was  tied,  of  course,  and  she  would 
suffer  the  little  one  to  crawl  away  from  her  until  only 

4*  41 


42  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

the  end  of  its  long  tail  was  within  her  reach,  when  she 
would  seize  it  and  draw  it  back  close  to  her  to  have 
the  operation  repeated  the  next  minute.  In  a  few  days 
the  little  one  died,  and  the  poor  mother  saw  it  thrown 
over  the  side.  A  few  hours  afterwards  she  managed 
to  get  loose,  and,  going  to  the  same  place  where  her 
young  one  had  disappeared,  she  deliberately  jumped 
overboard.  I  have  often  known  monkeys  to  commit 
suicide  when  sick,  but  I  never  knew  any  other  to  do 
so  from  evident  grief. 

About  ten  or  twelve  days  after  we  left  Anjer  one  of 
the  men,  who  had  been  on  shore  with  the  wood-party, 
was  taken  sick,  and  the  doctors  soon  suspected  small- 
pox. The  man  confessed  that  he  had  slipped  away 
and  gone  into  a  Chinese  hut,  where  he  hoped  to  get 
some  liquor.  He  was,  for  some  time,  close  by  a  bam- 
boo bed  on  which  a  person  was  lying  sick.  It  was 
so  dark  in  the  hut  that  he  could  not  see  much  of  the 
person,  but  he  must  have  had  smallpox,  for  there  was 
no  other  way  to  account  for  his  seizure. 

The  doctor  went  aft  and  reported  the  matter  to  the 
captain,  and  the  two  walked  up  and  down  the  poop  to- 
gether for  some  time  in  consultation.  One  of  our  top- 
<men,  who  was  at  the  wheel,  said  he  heard  the  captain 
say  he  did  not  like  to  put  a  sick  man  in  such  a  dan- 
gerous place,  and  the  doctor  answered  that  it  was  better 
to  risk  that  than  to  have  the  smallpox  run  through 
the  ship.  The  first  lieutenant  was  then  sent  for,  and 
ordered  to  have  the  lee  quarter-boat  cleared  out,  grat- 
ings put  over  the  thwarts,  or  seats,  and  a  tent  of  tar- 
paulin rigged  over  the  "  span"  between  the  "  davits." 
These  davits  were  of  the  old-fashioned,  straight,  wooden 


HOMEWARD  BOUND.  43 

kind  which  "  topped"  up.  The  man,  with  all  his  bed- 
ding, was  put  in  the  boat,  with  a  volunteer,  who  had 
had  smallpox,  to  look  out  for  him.  They  got  on  very 
well  there,  the  assistant  surgeon  climbing  up  occa- 
sionally to  see  how  they  did,  and  no  more  cases  ap- 
peared. The  man  was  well  before  we  reached  Cape 
Town.  His  bedding  and  clothes  were  thrown  over- 
board, and,  with  clean  clothes  and  a  little  more  quar- 
antine, he  was  allowed  on  board  again.  I  fancy  there 
are  few  men  who  can  say  that  they  have  crossed  the 
Indian  Ocean  in  a  quarter-boat  in  forty  days. 

Off  the  African  coast,  to  the  south  of  the  Mozam- 
bique Channel,  we  were  nearly  becalmed  for  a  day  or 
two,  in  company  with  an  American  barque  bound  home 
from  Zanzibar.  This  barque  lost  a  man  overboard 
while  we  were  quite  close  to  her,  and  we  lowered  a 
quarter-boat  and  picked  him  up,  undoubtedly  saving 
his  life  ;  for,  like  most  merchant  vessels,  she  had  both 
her  boats  hoisted  in  on  deck,  and,  in  such  a  case,  if  poor 
Jack  falls  overboard  he  most  likely  is  drowned.  In 
men-of-war,  in  addition  to  the  life-buoys  which  drop 
with  a  trigger,  one  of  the  quarter-boats  is  always  kept 
ready  for  lowering  at  a  moment's  notice. 

About  this  time  I  was  rated  an  ordinary  seaman, 
and  still  kept  in  the  foretop. 

As  we  drew  south,  and  into  the  Cape  current,  we 
saw  more  vessels,  all  bound  west,  and  encountered  some 
rough  weather  and  a  confused,  tumbling  sea.  We 
were  nearly  becalmed  for  several  hours  on  the  Lagul- 
has  Banks,  south  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  while 
drifting  to  the  westward  with  the  current  had  some 
fine  fishing,  catching  "  king-clip,"  a  fish  much  like  a 


44  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

salmon.  They  formed  a  welcome  change  in  our  diet, 
and  we  caught  a  great  many  more  than  we  could  use. 

The  next  day  we  anchored  in  Table  Bay.  This  was 
not  a  favorite  anchorage,  for  it  was  much  exposed,  sub- 
ject to  violent  squalls  and  gales,  which  constantly  put 
ships  in  danger.  Since  that  time  the  government  has 
built  a  good  breakwater  there.  Table  Mountain  towers 
above  the  bay  and  town,  and  when  the  "  table-cloth  is 
spread,"  or  a  sheet  of  clouds  spread  over  its  flat  top, 
one  must  literally  "  look  out  for  squalls." 

The  town  has  a  solid,  "  English-Dutch"  look,  very 
different  from  the  Eastern  tropical  towns  which  I  had 
been  accustomed  to  see.  War  with  the  Caffres  was 
going  on,  and  all  the  soldiers  had  gone  to  it,  and  their 
wives  and  children  occupied  an  old  Dutch  fort  on  the 
shores  of  the  bay.  The  great  excitement  of  the  colony, 
however,  appeared  to  be  the  sending  of  convicts  out 
from  England.  The  colonists  had  remonstrated  so 
vigorously  against  their  being  landed,  that  they  were 
placed  on  Robben  Island,  some  miles  off,  and  were  then 
occupied  in  building  stone  barracks  or  dwellings  for 
themselves. 

At  Cape  Town  we  watered  and  received  provisions. 
The  men  asked  for  "  liberty,"  but  did  not  get  it,  as  the 
captain  was  anxious  to  be  off,  and  hurried  our  work. 
There  was  a  good  deal  of  "growling"  at  this;  but  the 
more  sensible  men  remembered  that  this  was  the  last 
port  before  the  ship  arrived  home,  and  it  was  only  a 
question  of  about  two  months,  when  every  one  would  be 
discharged.  While  getting  provisions,  the  launch  and 
first  cutter,  in  which  I  pulled  a  bow-oar,  were  much  on 
shore.  The  launch  was  loaded  with  provisions  along- 


HOMEWARD  BOUND.  45 

side  a  long  pier,  and  the  cutter  towed  her  off.  One 
day  several  of  the  men,  discontented  at  not  having 
"  liberty,"  made  a  dash  up  the  pier  to  run  past  the 
midshipman  in  charge.  The  officer  was  a  strapping 
big  Tennesseean,  and  saw  the  rush  in  time  to  draw  his 
cutlass,  one  of  the  old-fashioned,  heavy  Roman  swords 
then  iu  use.  He  brought  it  down  over  the  head  of  the 
first  man,  cutting  him  down.  This  stopped  the  others, 
and  the  injured  man  was  sent  off  to  the  ship  in  the 
cutter,  his  scalp  falling  over  his  eyes  and  bleeding  pro- 
fusely, giving  him  a  horrid  appearance.  He  got  well, 
however,  and  no  public  notice  was  ever  taken  of  the 
matter. 

While  at  Cape  Town  I  was  in  the  boat  most  of 
the  time,  but  seldom  put  my  foot  on  shore.  Once 
or  twice  I  went  up  with  some  of  the  officers  to  carry 
down  cases  of  the  celebrated  Constantia  wine  and  hand- 
some skins,  which  they  had  bought  for  presents  to 
friends  at  home.  The  people  I  saw  looked  much  more 
healthy  than  the  Europeans  in  India  and  China,  show- 
ing a  better  climate.  Most  of  the  gentlemen  I  met 
had  veils  rolled  up  round  their  hats,  not  like  the  cloths 
worn  for  a  defence  from  the  sun  in  India,  but  regular 
veils,  which,  I  was  told,  was  to  protect  the  face  and 
eyes  from  the  dust-clouds  caused  by  sudden  gusts  from 
Table  Mountain. 

In  a  week  from  our  arrival  we  were  off  again,  and 
in  standing  out  of  Table  Bay  we  were  struck  by  light- 
ning in  quite  a  remarkable  way.  It  was  a  very  fine, 
clear  day,  and  no  clouds  to  be  seen,  except  one  very 
small  one,  sailing  overhead.  When  over  the  ship,  a 
single  loud  clap  of  thunder  was  heard,  and  the  light- 


46  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

ning  struck  our  main-truck.  The  conductor  was  an 
old-fashioned  one,  with  long  links,  like  a  surveyor's 
chain,  and  an  iron  staff,  or  spindle,  at  the  mast-head. 
The  lightning  detached  this  spindle,  which  came  down 
point  foremost,  sticking  several  inches  into  the  deck, 
and  quivering  there.  It  barely  missed  the  carpenter, 
who  was  standing  in  the  gangway.  Several  of  the 
links  were  melted,  and  came  down  in  balls,  burning 
the  deck ;  but  the  main  force  followed  the  conductor 
overboard,  and  no  one  was  more  than  stunned.  The 
little  cloud  seemed  dissipated  at  once,  as  soon  as  its 
electricity  was  discharged. 

As  Table  Bay  was  to  be  our  last  port  before  reach- 
ing the  United  States,  when  all  hands  were  called  to 
get  under  way,  the  word  was  passed,  "  All  hands,  up 
anchor  for  home !"  And  we  went  out  with  the  long 
"homeward-bound"  pennant  flying.  For  some  time 
the  favorite  song,  during  the  dog-watches,  was  "  Hur- 
rah !  we're  homeward  bound !"  Many  verses  are  always 
improvised  to  this  song  on  such  occasions.  I  may  give 
one  as  a  specimen  : 

"And  when  we  arrive  in  Norfolk  docks 
The  pretty  girls  come  down  in  flocks, — 
So  hustling,  rustling,  bustling,  gay, 
'  You're  welcome  home  with  your  three  years'  pay.'  " 
Chorus. — "  For  they  know  we're  homeward  bound, 
They  know  we're  homeward  bound." 

We  soon  got  the  southeast  trades,  and  carried  them  so 
far  to  the  north  that  we  crossed  the  usual  calm-belt,  on 
the  line,  with  little  delay,  and  getting  the  northeast 
trades  low  down,  we  reached  the  neighborhood  of  Ber- 
muda before  they  failed  us.  Thence  we  had  southwest 


HOMEWARD  SOUND.  47 

winds  across  the  Gulf  Stream,  and  fine  weather,  dis- 
proving for  once  the  sailor's  proverb,  "  If  Bermuda  let 
you  pass,  then  look  put  for  Hatteras."  One  fine 
morning  we  sighted  Cape  Henry  light-house,  at  the 
southern  cape  of  Chesapeake  Bay,  in  fifty-two  days 
from  Cape  Town.  The  pilot  soon  boarded  us,  and 
before  night  we  anchored  in  Hampton  Roads,  off  Fort- 
ress Monroe.  The  next  day  we  were  towed  up,  past 
Craney  Island,  to  the  naval  anchorage  at  Norfolk. 

Here  the  ship  was  moored,  and  the  commodore  com- 
manding the  station,  with  his  staff,  came  on  board  to 
inspect  the  ship.  He  was  received  with  a  salute,  the 
marine  guard,  the  officers  in  full  uniform,  and  the  men 
in  their  best  mustering-clothes. 

After  he  had  inspected  the  berth-deck,  store-rooms, 
etc.,  we  beat  to  quarters,  and  went  through  all  the 
motions  of  an  engagement, — firing  broadsides,  calling 
away  boarders,  firemen,  etc.  After  about  half  an  hour 
the  "  retreat"  was  beaten,  and  the  commodore  and  offi- 
cers went  into  the  cabin  for  lunch.  When  they  came 
out  we  went  to  fire-quarters,  and  then  exercised  aloft, 
in  loosing,  reefing,  and  furling  sails.  The  commodore 
then  made  a  little  speech,  saying  that  he  was  much 
pleased  with  the  condition  of  the  ship  and  the  appear- 
ance and  performance  of  the  crew,  and  should  so  re- 
port to  the  Navy  Department.  He  then  left  the  ship, 
with  the  same  ceremonies,  except  the  salute. 

Almost  immediately  it  became  known  that  our  cap- 
tain had  orders  to  take  the  ship  up  to  the  navy-yard, 
"  strip"  her,  and  make  her  fast  to  the  wharf,  when  the 
crew  would  be  paid  off  and  discharged.  Men-of-war's 
men  especially  hate  this  stripping  ship.  The  sail-room, 


48  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

magazine,  store-room,  and  hold  have  to  be  cleared  and 
their  contents  taken  on  shore.  The  light  spars  and 
boats  have  to  be  placed  under  shelter  also,  and  a  great 
deal  of  hard  and  dirty  work  all  this  involves.  But  it 
had  to  be  done,  and  the  sooner  it  was  done,  the  sooner 
we  should  be  clear  of  the  ship. 

In  three  days  we  had  finished,  and  the  money  having 
come  to  pay  off  the  crew,  we  were  all  (except  a  few 
who  were  already  too  much  intoxicated)  at  the  proper 
office,  in  the  navy-yard,  by  nine  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing. The  paying  went  off  very  rapidly,  the  men 
"touching  the  pen"  instead  of  signing  their  names. 
This  touching  the  pen,  with  a  cross  made  over  the  name, 
is  considered  equivalent  to  a  signature,  and  each  is 
witnessed  by  an  officer  who  sits  by. 

As  the  men  were  paid  they,  for  the  most  part,  went 
off  in  hacks  and  wagons,  with  their  bags  and  hammocks, 
in  charge  of  the  sailor  landlords  of  Norfolk  and  Ports- 
mouth, who  hung  about  the  gates  of  the  yard  like  vul- 
tures waiting  for  their  prey.  Many  of  the  seamen 
never  left  Norfolk.  Some  had  their  money  stolen, 
lost,  or  spent  within  a  few  days,  and  had  shipped  again 
in  the  navy  for  another  cruise.  Yet  almost  all  had 
some  plans  when  on  the  homeward  passage.  Some 
were  going  to  put  their  money  in  a  savings-bank,  some 
were  going  to  give  it  to  their  mother  or  sister,  some 
were  going  to  buy  a  fishing-boat  or  a  piece  of  land. 

Alas !  as  a  general  rule,  all  they  bought  was  whiskey. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

HAVING   WORKED   LIKE   HORSES,   WE  SPEND   LIKE 
ASSES,   AND   SOON  SHIP  AGAIN. 

OF  course,  having  been  but  a  few  months  shipped, 
and  having  been  obliged  to  forestall  ray  wages  for  an 
outfit  of  clothing,  I  had  but  little  money  due  me  when 
paid  off.  Erie  Kemp,  however,  had  four  hundred 
dollars,  and  Brown,  the  captain  of  my  top,  nearly  as 
much.  Old  Erie  was  from  New  York,  and  disliked 
Norfolk  exceedingly.  He  and  Brown  decided  to  go 
to  New  York  and  have  their  "  blow-out/'  asking  me 
to  join  them,  and  promising  I  should  share  with  them 
as  long  as  the  money  lasted.  So  that  same  day  we 
went  on  board  a  schooner  for  a  passage  to  New  York. 
The  schooner  was  loaded  with  cypress  shingles,  from 
the  Dismal  Swamp.  Erie  and  Brown  were  both  quite 
tipsy  by  this  time,  and  had  brought  on  board  a  large 
jug  of  whiskey  for  "sea-stores."  As  soon  as  they 
went  to  sleep,  which  they  did  almost  immediately  on 
coming  on  board,  the  skipper  of  the  schooner  quietly 
broke  the  jug,  and  its  contents  found  their  way  among 
the  shingles.  When  they  woke  they  were  intensely 
disgusted  at  the  supposed  accident,  but  the  vessel  was 
then  outside  the  capes,  and  there  was  no  help  for  it. 

In  less  than  three  days  we  were  in  New  York,  and 
made  our  way  to  a  sailors'  boarding-house  in  Cherry 
Street,  where,  of  course,  men-of-war's  men  just  paid 
off  were  very  welcome. 

c  5  49 


50  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

Owing  to  my  mother's  advice,  and  my  recollection 
of  my  poor  father's  intemperance,  as  well  as  to  my 
youth,  I  had  no  inclination  to  drink.  Erie  and  Brown, 
knowing  this,  gave  me  charge  of  their  clothes  and  their 
monk-bags,  containing  a  good  deal  of  their  money, 
while  they  went  on  a  regular  spree ;  my  remonstrances 
having  no  effect. 

As  for  myself,  the  sights  of  so  large  a  city  were  suf- 
ficient to  occupy  me,  and  I  was  never  tired  of  wandering 
up  and  down  Broadway,  looking  at  the  shops  and  people, 
and  going  to  different  shows  and  theatres.  I  had  never 
been  in  any  other  very  large  town  than  Calcutta,  and 
this  was  so  different  that  it  seemed  like  a  new  world. 

In  about  a  month,  what  with  promiscuous  "  treat- 
ing," buying  trash,  hiring  carriages,  and  other  drains, 
the  money  began  to  run  low,  and  the  landlord  to  be 
much  less  civil.  One  fine  morning,  when  Erie  and 
Brown  were  comparatively  sober,  we  compared  accounts, 
and  found  we  were  nearly  down  to  "  the  last  shot  in 
the  locker."  The  landlord,  who  had  been  waiting  for 
this,  now  proposed  to  us  to  go  in  a  fine  ship, — a  voyage 
round  Cape  Horn.  He  spoke  of  how  much  more  wages 
she  would  pay  than  a  man-of-war,  with  a  shorter  voyage. 
We  could  leave  our  discharges  with  him,  and  when  we 
came  back  we  could  ship  in  the  navy  again.  Erie, 
like  many  men-of-war's  men,  liked  a  trip  in  the  mer- 
chant service  occasionally  for  a  change.  Brown  and  I 
were  both  willing,  and  we  agreed  to  ship,  if  I  could  be 
taken  as  a  seaman,  they  both  agreeing  that  I  could  do 
the  duty. 

Indeed,  by  this  time  I  had  my  growth,  and  was  nearly 
as  heavy  as  I  have  ever  been  since. 


WE  SHIP  AGAIN.  51 

The  next  day  we  went  off  in  a  Whitehall  boat  on 
board  the  ship  Mary,  where  we  found  thirteen  other 
seamen,  who,  with  the  captain,  two  mates,  cook,  and 
steward,  made  up  our  complement.  The  Mary  was  an- 
chored near  Robin's  Reef  waiting  a  fair  wind.  She  was 
a  small  ship,  such  as  would  now  be  barque-rigged,  and 
measured  not  more  than  seven  hundred  tons, — very  fast, 
and  a  good  sea-boat,  but  rather  wet.  The  men  were 
berthed  in  a  deck-house,  in  the  forward  part  of  which 
was  the  galley,  and  having  a  partition  fore  and  aft  sep- 
arating the  watches.  This  was  one  of  the  first  ships 
with  a  deck-house,  which  is  like  a  palace  compared  with 
the  dark,  damp,  foul  forecastles  of  the  last  generation. 

We  had  for  cargo  a  steam-engine,  and  machinery  for 
sugar-making,  for  Pisco,  a  port  in  Peru,  south  of  Cal- 
lao,  and  a  distilling  apparatus,  a  quantity  of  quicksilver 
in  iron  flasks,  and  mining-tools,  destined  for  Cobija, 
the  one  port  of  Bolivia.  This  cargo  was  not  an  "  easy" 
one ;  for  it  did  not  take  up  all  the  room  in  the  hold, 
having,  from  its  nature,  to  be  stowed  so  low  down  that 
it  made  the  ship  very  quick  and  jerky  in  her  motion. 
We  sailed  from  New  York  about  the  1st  of  September, 
and  had  a  good  passage  down  to  the  mouth  of  the 
river  of  Plate,  sighting,  on  our  passage,  the  Cape  Verde 
Islands,  the  Rock  of  St.  Paul's,  on  the  equator,  and 
Fernando  Noronha,  off  the  coast  of  Brazil,  with  its 
curious  steeple-shaped  peak. 

The  work  was  much  harder  than  in  a  man-of-war, 
but  we  had  a  good  crew,  were  well  fed  and  berthed, 
and  everything  was  going  well.  Off  the  river  of  Plate, 
however,  we  had  a  pampero,  a  wind  which  comes  over 
the  great  plains  of  South  America,  and  which  often 


52  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

blows  with  tremendous  force.  This  was  the  first  bad 
weather  we  had,  and,  in  reefing  top-sails,  the  second 
mate  fell  from  the  main  top-sail  yard,  and,  striking  the 
rail,  went  overboard.  It  was  very  dark,  and  the  weather 
was  such  that  we  could  have  done  nothing  if  it  had  been 
daylight.  No  doubt  the  poor  fellow  was  killed  instantly, 
and  was  not  doomed,  to  drown  without  hope  of  being 
saved. 

The  gale  increasing,  and  the  ship  laboring  a  good 
deal,  we  hove  her  to,  but  had  not  laid  so  many  hours 
when  the  fore-mast  went  by  the  board,  during  a  tre- 
mendous lurch,  carrying  with  it  the  head-booms  and 
main  top-gallant  mast.  The  mast  broke  about  eight 
feet  above  the  deck,  and  we  afterwards  found  it  was 
rotten  there. 

We  were  until  daylight  getting  clear  of  the  wreck, 
which  added  to  our  danger  by  thumping  our  sides. 
Some  of  the  men  were  cut  and  bruised,  and  we  were 
all  wet,  fatigued,  and  miserable  enough.  But  the  ship 
really  lay  better  after  we  lost  the  fore-mast,  and  the 
next  day,  at  noon,  the  gale  broke.  We  at  once  set  to 
work  to  rig  a  jury-mast,  using  a  spare  top-mast,  which 
we  carried  lashed  on  deck,  as  a  fore-mast,  and  sending 
down  the  mizzen-top  mast  and  top-gallant  masts,  with 
their  yards  and  sails,  using  them  as  a  foretop-mast  and 
top-gallant  mast.  There  was  no  use  in  going  into 
Montevideo,  our  nearest  port,  for  spars  are  scarce  and 
very  dear  there;  so  we  bore  away  for  Rio  Janeiro, 
retracing  our  route. 

Here  we  arrived  in  about  two  weeks,  and,  coming 
in  with  the  sea-breeze,  ran  up  off  the  island  of  En- 
chados  and  anchored.  We  soon  had  spar-makers  and 


WE  SHIP  AGAIN.  53 

riggers  on  board,  and  our  repairs  were  completed  in  a 
few  days. 

Our  captain,  who  was  a  short,  fat,  good-natured  man, 
shipped  here  as  second  mate,  in  the  place  of  the  one 
lost,  a  man  named  Jackson,  a  sinister-looking  fellow. 
He  had  good  recommendations,  but  had  evidently  been 
drinking  hard ;  but  the  captain  thought,  no  doubt,  he 
would  soon  sober  down. 

We  went  out  to  sea  with  the  morning  land-breeze  in 
company  with  several  other  vessels,  having  a  fine  view  of 
this  beautiful  harbor,  the  most  picturesque  the  world 
contains.  The  second  night  out  we  had  a  good  offing, 
but  were  almost  becalmed ;  and  the  captain,  coming  on 
deck,  found  that  Jackson,  whose  watch  it  was,  was  not 
steering  his  course.  He  blew  him  up  roundly,  and 
sent  him  below,  saying  that  he  would  take  his  watch, 
and  in  the  morning  would  "  break"  Jackson  and  turn 
him  forward.  We  supposed,  afterwards,  that  Jackson 
was  at  the  point  of  mania  a  potu,  for  he  went  below 
raving  like  a  maniac,  but  became  quiet  after  a  time. 

It  was  very  warm,  and  after  the  captain  had  been 
relieved  by  the  first  mate  at  the  end  of  the  watch,  he 
went  below,  undressed,  and  threw  himself  in  his  berth 
without  any  covering.  I  had  taken  the  wheel  when  the 
watch  was  changed,  and  about  half  an  hour  had  elapsed 
when  I  heard  a  fearful  cry  in  the  cabin,  and  a  man  ran 
up  the  companion-way  and  forward  to  about  the  fore- 
rigging,  and  then  jumped  on  the  rail  and  over  the  side. 
It  was  not  a  very  dark  night,  and  I  distinctly  recog- 
nized Jackson. 

The  first  mate  at  once  hurried  below,  and  by  the 
light  of  the  swinging-lamp  in  the  cabin  saw  the  cap- 

5* 


54  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

tain  lying  in  his  berth  bleeding  and  apparently  dead. 
The  second  mate  was  not  in  his  berth.  Calling  the 
steward  and  getting  more  light,  it  was  found  that  the 
captain  had  been  cut  across  the  bowels  with  a  razor, 
which  was  found  on  deck ;  but  he  was  so  very  fat  that 
the  cut  had  not  been  so  complete  as  evidently  had  been 
intended;  but  it  was  a  long,  horrid-looking  wound. 
The  captain  had  only  fainted,  and  came  to  when  the 
wound  was  dressed  as  well  as  they  knew  how ;  and  he 
was  propped  in  his  berth  with  pillows,  so  that  the  mo- 
tion of  the  vessel  might  disturb  him  as  little  as  possible. 
The  mate  took  charge,  and  headed  the  ship  for  Rio,  for 
the  second  time,  to  obtain  assistance  for  the  captain. 

The  wind  continued  very  light,  but  was  now  fair. 
At  daylight  an  object  was  descried  at  the  foretop- 
gallant  cross-trees,  which,  as  the  light  increased,  turned 
out  to  be  Jackson.  He  had  only  pretended  to  go  over- 
board, and  had  jumped  into  the  fore-chains;  and  then, 
during  the  hurry  and  confusion,  when  his  deed  was  dis- 
covered, he  had  quietly  made  his  way  aloft.  Two  of 
the  men  at  once  started  to  bring  him  down,  but  they 
had  not  got  out  of  the  top  when  Jackson  hailed  them, 
to  say  that  he  had  a  top-maul  (a  formidable  weapon), 
and  that  he  would  brain  any  man  who  came  near  him. 
The  man  was  evidently  insane,  and  the  mate  sang  out 
to  let  him  alone  for  the  present. 

Pretty  soon  Jackson  took  his  knife  and  began  cutting 
at  the  top-sail  tie,  which  was  of  hide  rope,  and  the 
sail  came  down  on  the  cap  by  the  run.  Of  course  this 
would  not  do;  so  the  mate  went  into  the  cabin  and 
brought  out  a  musket. 

He  now  ordered  the  maniac  to  come  down  ;  but  he 


WE  SHIP  AGAIN.  55 

only  laughed  in  derision,  and  continued  cutting  at  the 
rigging.  The  mate  then  fired  at  him  and  broke  his 
left  arm,  when  he  let  the  knife  and  top-maul  fall.  The 
two  men  now  went  aloft  again,  and  as  Jackson  had  now 
but  one  hand  to  hold  on  with  they  managed  to  lash  him 
fast,  although  he  came  very  near  jumping  overboard 
with  one  of  them.  He  was  then  sent  on  deck  by  the 
studding-sail  halyards,  and  fastened  up  in  the  starboard 
deck-house.  All  hands  then  turned  to,  to  splice  and 
repair  the  damage  he  had  done ;  but  the  affair  had  de- 
tained us  so  long  that  we  only  just  managed  to  get  past 
the  Sugar  Loaf  and  Santa  Cruz  with  the  very  last  of 
the  sea-breeze,  and  here  we  anchored  about  nine  o'clock 
at  night. 

On  coming  out  we  had  noticed  an  American  frigate, 
which  Kemp  said  was  the  Congress,  lying  at  the 
naval  anchorage,  four  or  five  miles  from  our  present 
berth. 

A  boat  was  at  once  manned  to  proceed  to  the  frigate 
and  procure  assistance  for  the  captain.  I  went  in  her 
as  coxswain,  and  about  eleven  o'clock  at  night,  after  a 
weary  pull,  we  approached  the  frigate.  "  Boat  ahoy  !" 
came  from  the  sentry  in  the  gangway. 

Now,  in  the  navy,  a  boat  with  sailors,  or  warrant 
officers,  answers  a  night  hail  with  "  No !  no !"  One 
with  commissioned  officers,  "  Aye !  aye !"  and  the  cap- 
tain always  answers  the  name  of  the  ship.  Of  course, 
knowing  this,  I  answered  the  hail,  and  was  allowed  to 
come  to  the  ladder,  where  the  corporal  of  the  guard 
asked  my  business,  and  I  was  allowed  to  come  on  deck. 
The  captain  of  the  frigate,  on  having  the  matter  reported 
him,  sent  to  have  one  of  the  medical  officers  to  return 


56  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

with  me ;  and  he  also  sent  a  boat  on  shore  at  once  with 
an  officer  to  see  the  consul  and  request  him  to  commu- 
nicate with  the  authorities.  The  doctor  soon  appeared, 
asked  me  a  few  questions,  and  went  below  again.  He 
soon  returned  with  a  case  and  a  lot  of  things  in  a  bun- 
dle, and  we  were  off,  on  our  return  to  the  ship,  in  twenty 
minutes  from  the  time  I  boarded  the  frigate.  We  reached 
the  Mary  about  one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  the  doc- 
tor went  into  the  cabin  with  the  mate,  and  was  there  a 
long  time. 

Soon  after  daylight  the  customs  officers'  boat  boarded 
us,  followed  by  another  with  the  consul  and  some  police 
soldiers.  The  captain  was  more  comfortable  after  his 
wounds  were  dressed,  and  he  was  sent  to  the  Misericor- 
dia  Hospital,  the  doctor  from  the  man-of-war  going 
with  him. 

The  police  officers  were  then  directed  to  secure  Jack- 
son and  take  him  to  prison,  on  shore,  until  an  opportu- 
nity occurred  of  sending  him  to  the  United  States  for 
trial. 

The  Brazilians  drew  their  cutlasses,  and  the  mate 
unlocked  the  door  of  the  deck-house  and  swung  it  open, 
but  no  Jackson  appeared.  On  looking  closer  he  was 
discovered  in  one  of  the  berths,  dead  ;  having  managed 
to  cut  his  throat  with  a  sheath-knife  he  had  found  there. 

His  body  was  taken  away  that  same  day,  and  buried 
over  in  Three-Fathom  Bay. 

In  a  day  or  two  it  was  arranged  with  the  consul  that 
the  mate  should  take  charge  of  the  ship  and  continue 
the  voyage,  while  Erie  Kemp  was  made  mate,  as  he 
was  a  prime  seaman,  although  no  navigator.  It  being 
discovered  from  Erie  that  I  could  navigate  and  keep 


WE  SHIP  AGAIN.  57 

the  log-book,  I  was  made  second  mate.  Had  I  been 
older  and  more  experienced  the  positions  would  have 
been  reversed.  A  couple  of  Portuguese  were  shipped 
as  seamen  in  our  places,  and  we  sailed  again  within  a 
week. 

We  heard  afterwards  that  the  captain,  after  a  long 
illness,  got  well,  and  went  home. 

It  being  the  favorable  season  in  the  southern  hemi- 
sphere, we  had  a  good  passage  round  Cape  Horn,  al- 
though we  had  some  rough  weather  and  head  winds, 
but  the  nights  were  short,  and  the  weather  not  cold. 
No  liquor  was  allowed  on  board  the  Mary,  except  as 
medicine ;  and  old  Erie  got  on  very  well  in  conse- 
quence: for  he  had  the  confidence  of  the  men,  and 
handled  the  ship  well.  As  for  myself,  I  did  the  very 
best  I  could,  always  trying  to  take  a  leading  part : 
such  as  being  the  first  at  the  weather  ear-ring  when 
reefing  top-sails,  as  it  was  rny  place  to  be. 

We  reached  Cobija  in  sixty  days  from  Bio  Janeiro, 
and  commenced  discharging  the  part  of  the  cargo  for 
that  place  into  lighters,  which  landed  through  a  heavy 
surf,  not  without  frequent  accidents. 

Cobija  is  the  one  port  of  Bolivia,  which  large 
country  has  but  a  small  coast-line.  There  are  some 
good  houses,  but  a  more  miserable  place,  as  a  whole,  it 
would  be  hard  to  find ;  or  a  more  arid,  rocky,  burnt-up 
country  than  that  at  the  back  of  the  town.  The  very 
drinking-water  had  to  be  brought  quite  a  distance,  on 
the  backs  of  mules,  by  which  animals  everything  was 
transported. 

We  soon  got  away  from  here,  and  in  a  few  days 
reached  Pisco,  in  Peru,  about  five  hundred  miles  north 
c* 


5}  THIRTY  TEARS  AT  SEA. 

of  Cobija.  This  was  situated  on  a  bay,  open  to  the 
northwest,  and  near  by  were  the  Chincha  Islands,  since 
so  celebrated  for  their  guano :  indeed,  it  was  then  be- 
ginning to  attract  attention.  A  little  river,  named  the 
Pisco,  emptied  into  the  bay,  and  the  town  and  sur- 
rounding country  contrasted  very  pleasantly  with  Co- 
bija. Pisco  is  celebrated  for  its  grapes.  From  these 
wine  is  made,  and  also  a  spirit,  commonly  called  Pisco, 
and  a  finer  sort  called  Italia.  Sugar  is  also  raised,  and 
numbers  of  Chinese  coolies  were  already  employed  on 
the  plantations. 

After  discharging  here,  we  were  told  we  should  have 
to  go  back  to  Cobija,  as  we  had  been  chartered  to  take 
barilla  and  gold  and  silver  ore  from  there  to  Swansea, 
in  Wales.  As  it  was  such  a  miserable  place,  we  had 
to  obtain  water,  potatoes,  fruit,  etc.,  at  Pisco  before 
going  down  there. 

At  Cobija  we  anchored  as  near  the  shore  as  was  safe, 
and  commenced  to  take  on  board  the  ore.  It  was  in 
bags,  some  of  hide  and  some  of  gunny-cloth ;  and,  as 
water  did  not  hurt  the  latter,  they  were  hauled  off  on 
balsas,  a  kind  of  raft,  through  the  surf,  while  the  hide- 
bags  were  brought  in  launches  whenever  the  sea  would 
permit.  But  it  was  a  very  slow  business. 

Of  course,  with  such  a  heavy  cargo,  we  were  quite 
deep  in  the  water  before  our  hold  was  near  full.  We 
made  a  quick  and  pleasant  passage,  having  off  Cape 
Horn  strong  westerly  gales  and  high  seas,  before  which 
we  went  flying,  occasionally  sighting  a  ship  bound  the 
other  way,  trying  to  beat  against  it,  or  lying  to,  wait- 
ing for  better  weather. 

We  made  Cape  Clear,  on  the  Irish  coast,  in  June, 


WE  SHIP  AGAIN.  59 

and  the  next  day  anchored  in  Swansea  Bay,  which 
opens  on  the  Bristol  Channel.  Here,  for  the  first  time, 
I  saw  my  native  soil,  if  I  may  so  express  it.  The 
tides  in  the  Bristol  Channel  are  something  tremendous, 
and  we  were  taken  into  dock  over  bottom,  which,  at 
low  water,  was  almost  bare. 

To  the  east  of  the  town  there  are  numerous  large 
smelting-works,  which  make  a  very  nasty  smoke  and 
smell,  but  which  are  celebrated  all  over  the  world. 
Ores  of  copper,  tin,  gold,  and  silver  are  sent  here  from 
Africa,  Spain,  North  and  South  America,  and  many 
other  places,  to  be  reduced,  and  many  vessels  are  con- 
stantly employed  in  the  trade. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

I  LOSE  MY  SHIP,  AND  ENTER  THE  NAVY  ONCE  MOEE. 

WHEN  we  were  clear  of  our  cargo,  and  while  the 
ship  was  undergoing  some  necessary  repairs,  I  got  leave 
to  go  for  two  or  three  days  to  try  to  find  my  mother's 
brother.  I  had  often  heard  her  say  he  was  a  miller, 
and  that  he  lived  at  Truro,  in  Cornwall.  I  had  bought 
some  nice  clothes  in  Swansea,  and,  with  ten  pounds  of 
my  wages  in  my  pocket,  I  went  off  in  good  spirits  on 
board  a  coasting  steamer  which  would  touch  at  Fal- 
mouth.  This  is  a  very  nice  town  on  the  Fal,  a  deep  arm 
of  the  sea,  defended  at  its  entrance  by  Pendennis  Castle. 
It  is  a  great  port  of  call  for  vessels  bound  either  in 
or  out  of  the  English  Channel,  or  calling  for  orders. 
At  Falmouth  I  took  a  coach  running  to  Truro,  arriving 
there  about  mid-day.  At  the  Farmers'  Inn,  where  the 
coach  stopped,  I  inquired  if  they  knew  a  miller  of  the 

name  of  P .  The  landlord  told  me  that  he  lived 

within  a  mile,  and  had  been  at  the  inn  that  morning. 
In  answer  to  further  inquiries,  he  told  me  that  he  was 
quite  well-to-do,  was  married,  and  had  several  children, 
but  hinted  that  he  was  rather  mean. 

I  soon  walked  out  to  the  mill,  and  seeing  a  man  of 
about  fifty  standing  at  the  door,  I  went  up  to  him  and 

asked  if  his  name  was  P ,  and  if  he  had  not  had 

a  sister  who  went  to  India  many  years  ago.  He  an- 
00 


I  ENTER    THE  NAVY  ONCE  MORE.  61 

• 

swered  that  that  was  his  name,  and  that  he  had  a  sister 
in  India.  Thereupon  I  told  him  I  was  his  nephew, 
at  which  he  seemed  surprised  and  then  looked  suspi- 
cious, finally  saying  that  he  had  never  heard  his  sister 
had  a  son.  This  was  not  true,  for  my  mother  had  re- 
peatedly written  to  her  brother,  and  had  had  a  letter 
from  him  within  my  recollection  announcing  the  death 
of  their  mother.  His  denial,  therefore,  made  my  blood 
boil,  and  so  disgusted  me  that,  like  a  hot-headed 
youngster  as  I  was,  I  turned  on  my  heel,  and  leaving 
him,  walked  back  to  Truro,  and  thence  took  the  same 
coach  back  to  Falmouth.  I  felt  that  I  was  now  in- 
deed alone  in  the  world.  I  knew  of  no  other  relations, 
and  felt  that  my  only  home  and  friends  were  on  board 
the  Mary.  My  whole  life,  however,  had  been  such 
that  I  did  not  even  then  realize  how  complete  a  waif  I 
was  on  the  world's  great  ocean. 

I  stopped  overnight  at  an  inn  in  Falmouth,  and 
next  day  went  back  to  Swansea  in  a  return  steamer, 
glad  enough  to  get  back  to  the  ship,  where  I  took  care 
to  say  very  little  about  my  visit  to  my  dear  relations. 

As  soon  as  our  repairs  were  finished  we  sailed  for 
Carthagena,  being  chartered  to  carry  coals  out  and  load 
ore  back  to  Swansea.  We  had  a  fair  run  across  the 
Bay  of  Biscay,  sighting  Cape  Finisterre  on  the  sixth 
morning,  and  in  twelve  days  were  near  the  Straits  of 
Gibraltar,  but  well  over  towards  Cape  Spartel  on  the 
African  shore.  That  night  we  had  a  light  breeze  from 
northwest,  and  with  the  easterly  current,  always  run- 
ning through  the  straits,  we  were  making  about  four 
or  five  knots.  I  had  the  first  watch,  and  about  eleven 
o'clock,  it  being  clear  but  dark,  I  saw  the  lights  of  a 

6 


62  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

steamer  approaching  us  from  the  opposite  direction. 
Knowing  that  our  lights  were  burning  well,  I  held  rny 
course,  expecting  the  steamer  to  get  out  of  our  way,  as 
she  was  bound  to  do.  In  a  few  minutes  I  saw  that  if 
she  held  her  course  she  would  be  into  us,  and  running 
forward  on  the  forecastle,  I  showed  a  lantern,  had  the 
bell  rung,  and  the  watch  set  up  a  shout.  By  this  time 
the  captain  was  on  deck,  and  he  ordered  the  helm  put 
down  to  try  to  luff  clear.  But  the  wind  was  too  light 
and  too  much  abaft  the  beam  to  make  us  work  quickly, 
and  the  steamer  struck  us  about  the  starboard  fore- 
chains, — a  glancing  blow,  but  cutting  us  to  the  water's 
edge.  The  pumps,  on  being  sounded,  showed  we  were 
making  water  rapidly,  but  we  turned  to  with  a  will  to 
see  if  we  could  keep  it  under.  In  answer  to  our  hail, 
the  steamer,  which  did  not  seem  much  injured,  told  us 
in  Spanish  that  she  was  from  Ceuta,  bound  to  Cadiz, 
and  that  she  would  stand  by  us.  In  a  few  minutes, 
finding  how  seriously  we  were  leaking,  they  offered  to 
tow  us  into  Tangier  Bay,  where  we  could  beach  her. 

There  was  considerable  doubt  whether  she  would 
float  that  long,  but  we  soon  got  a  hawser  out,  and  the 
Spaniard  tugged  away,  getting  us  into  shoal  water, 
opposite  the  old  Roman  bridge,  to  the  eastward  of  the 
town  of  Tangier,  just  as  the  sun  was  rising. 

By  this  time  the  water  was  gaining  so  rapidly  that 
we  abandoned  the  pumps,  and  the  ship  settled  on  the 
bottom  in  four  fathoms  water.  We  drew  eighteen  feet, 
and  so  long  as  it  was  calm  and  smooth  there  was  no 
danger.  We  could  save  all  our  traps  from  the  poop- 
cabin  and  deck-house,  but  it  seemed  likely  the  Mary 
would  leave  her  bones  there,  for  the  Bay  of  Tangier  is 


I  ENTER    THE  NAVY  ONCE  MORE.  63 

much  exposed,  and  dangerous  in  many  winds,  and  she 
was  heavily  loaded  with  coal,  and  there  were  not  any 
facilities  for  lightering  or  raising  her. 

Having  our  colors  set  union  down  as  we  were  towed 
in,  and  settling  down  immediately,  we  created  quite  a 
stir  among  the  Moors  on  shore.  A  number  of  heavy, 
lateen-rigged  boats,  and  a  barge  with  the  American 
consul,  were  soon  alongside.  After  a  consultation  be- 
tween the  consul,  our  captain,  and  the  customs  officials, 
it  was  decided  to  land  us  at  once,  and  to  send  to  Gib- 
raltar to  put  the  wreck  in  the  hands  of  the  under- 
writers' agents,  commencing  to  strip  the  ship  that  day 
of  sails,  rigging,  spars,  chains,  and  anchors,  while  the 
weather  was  fine. 

The  town  of  Tangier  presents  a  fine  appearance  from 
the  sea,  being  built  upon  the  sides  of  an  amphitheatre 
of  hills  looking  towards  the  east,  with  walls,  gates,  cas- 
tle, and  batteries,  all  in  the  style  of  two  centuries  ago. 
The  landing  is  very  rough,  even  in  good  weather,  and 
in  bad  it  is  almost  impossible.  A  motley  crowd  of 
Moors  and  negroes,  in  all  sorts  of  costumes,  from  the 
bournous  to  the  breech-cloth,  met  us  on  the  beach. 

Going  through  the  water-gate,  we  came  to  an  open 
space,  or  plaza,  full  of  donkeys,  camels,  and  ragamuf- 
fins, where  a  sort  of  market  was  held,  and  from  which 
radiated,  in  every  direction,  narrow  lanes  and  streets. 
These  were  more  squalid,  dirty,  and  offensive  than  I 
had  ever  seen  before. 

The  consul's  man,  who  had  charge  of  us,  led  us  to 
the  house  of  a  Gibraltar  Jew,  where  we  had  something 
to  eat,  and  slept  that  night  on  a  remarkably  hard  and 
dirty  floor,  where  the  fleas  fought  for  us  in  the  most 


64  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

lively  manner.  The  captain  went  with  the  consul  to 
his  house,  and  I  never  saw  him  again,  as  he  stayed 
behind  to  look  after  the  salvage.  Next  morning  we 
were  all  sent  over  to  Gibraltar  in  a  small  English 
steamer,  which  plied  between  the  two  places.  As  we 
went  out  of  the  bay  we  saw  them  at  work  stripping 
the  Mary,  and  making  ready  to  get  out  some  of  the 
coal.  I  felt  sorry  enough  for  her  loss,  for  I  liked  the 
ship,  and  1  lost  a  berth  which  it  was  not  easy  for  one 
without  friends  to  get  again. 

We  arrived  in  Gibraltar  in  the  afternoon,  seeing 
several  men-of-war  at  anchor  there,  and  especially  no- 
ticed an  American  corvette.  Going  on  shore,  we  went 
to  a  sailors'  tavern,  near  the  landing,  where  we  left  our 
bags,  and  then  Kemp  and  myself  went  to  see  Mr. 

S ,  the  American  consul.     He  was  at  dinner,  but 

sent  word,  after  reading  the  letter  we  had  brought  from 
the  consul  at  Tangier,  that  he  would  send  word  to  the 
tavern  that  he  would  be  responsible  for  our  necessary 
expenses,  and  that  we  could  come  and  see  him  in  the 
morning.  Going  back,  we  told  the  men  how  mat- 
ters stood,  and  then  walked  about  to  see  some  of  the 
sights  of  this  remarkable  place.  .Erie  Kemp,  in  spite 
of  my  remonstrances,  began  to  drink,  and  before  gun- 
fire, when  all  the  gates  and  grog-shops  are  closed,  was 
quite  tipsy.  When  no  more  liquor  was  to  be  had  he 
consented  to  turn  in.  The  next  morning  we  were  down 
at  the  landing  quite  early,  and  as  soon  as  gun-fire  an- 
nounced that  the  gates  were  open,  boats  with  fruit  and 
vegetables  began  to  come  in  from  the  Spanish  side,  and 
soon  the  "  market  boats,"  from  the  different  men-of- 
war  in  port,  pulled  in  for  the  fresh  beef  and  vegetables, 


I  ENTER  THE  NAVY  ONCE  MORE.      6  5 

and  with  the  stewards  of  the  officers'  messes,  to  get  their 
daily  supplies.  A  boat  belonging  to  the  American  sloop 
was  among  them,  and  Erie  recognized  in  her  coxswain 

an  old  shipmate.  He  told  us  the  sloop  was  the  M , 

belonging  to  the  Mediterranean  squadron,  but  at  pres- 
ent bound  down  the  coast  of  Africa  on  a  cruise. 

Erie  got  him  to  ask  the  midshipman  in  charge  of  the 
boat  for  a  passage  off  to  the  ship,  which  he  consented  to 
give  us.  Going  to  the  tavern  to  tell  the  men  where  we 
had  gone,  we  got  back  in  time  to  go  off  in  the  market 
boat. 

To  Erie  an  American  man-of-war  seemed  his  natural 
place  and  refuge  now  he  had  lost  his  ship,  while  I  could 
not  hope  to  get  another  mate's  berth  readily, — and  we 
were  quite  ready  to  ship  in  the  service  again,  instead 
of  being  sent  home  by  the  consul  in  some  fruit  vessel 
as  "distressed  seamen." 

Most  men-of-war  on  a  foreign  station  have  vacancies 
in  their  complement,  caused  by  death,  desertion,  and 
invaliding,  and  we  had  no  doubt  that  Erie,  as  an  old 
petty  officer,  and  I,  as  an  able  seaman,  would  find 
berths. 

Arriving  alongside  the  M about  seven  o'clock. 

we  found  her  in  all  the  familiar  morning  bustle  of  holy- 
stoning decks,  scrubbing  copper,  squaring  yards,  and 
handling  taut  the  running  rigging.  The  officer  of 
the  deck  was  paddling  about  barefooted,  while  the  first 
lieutenant  inspected  matters  generally  from  the  poop, 
in  a  pea-jacket  and  a  huge  pair  of  sea-boots. 

Erie  was  recognized  as  an  old  shipmate  by  the  latter 
officer,  and  was  told  we  could  both  be  shipped  as  sea- 
men, and  trust  to  time  for  the  chance  of  a  rating.  I 

6* 


66  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

persuaded  Erie  not  to  go  on  shore  again,  as  I  could  go 
with  the  men  to  the  consul's;  which  I  did,  explaining 
to  him  that  Erie  and  I  preferred  to  ship  on  board  the 

M ,  instead  of  hanging  about  Gibraltar  waiting  a 

passage  to  the  United  States.  Brown  preferred  to  go 
home  with  the  crew ;  and  thus  I  parted  with  my  ship- 
mates of  the  Mary,  and  never  saw  any  of  them  again 
except  Brown,  of  whom  I  shall  speak  hereafter. 

I  was  on  board  the  M again  by  noon,  and 

as  I  stepped  on  board  the  bell  struck  eight,  and  the 
boatswain  and  his  mates  piped  to  dinner,  the  drum 
rolling  to  grog  as  soon  as  the  pipes  ceased.  The  offi- 
cer of  the  deck  told  me  to  go  and  get  my  grog,  as 
nothing  could  be  done  till  after  the  meal  hour,  and 
directed  a  petty  officer  to  see  that  we  got  some  dinner. 

The  M being  a  single-decked  vessel,  grog  was 

served  on  the  port  side  of  the  quarter-deck.  As  the 
grog  ration  has  long  ceased  in  the  American  navy, 
many  people  may  like  to  know  how  it  was  served. 

As  the  drum  rolled,  the  master's  mate  of  the  spirit- 
room,  the  captain  of  the  hold,  the  purser's  steward  and 
his  assistant,  the  "jack  of  the  dust,"  escorted  by  a 
marine  sentry  with  drawn  bayonet,  brought  up  from 
the  spirit-room,  in  solemn  procession,  the  grog-tub, — 
a  wooden,  firkin-shaped  vessel, — holding  eight  or  ten 
gallons.  The  top  of  this  being  removed,  exposed  a 
semi-circular  shelf  inside,  and  below  that  the  raw 
whiskey  just  pumped  from  the  cask.  Numerous  "  tots" 
of  tin  with  handles,  and  holding  half  a  gill,  and  a 
great  quart  measure,  were  unstrung  with  much  rattling 
from  a  piece  of  marline,  and  the  tots  placed  on  the 
shelf.  A  petty  officer,  whose  turn  it  was,  then  took 


/  ENTER    THE  NAVY  ONCE  MORE.  67 

the  large  measure,  and  filled  all  the  tots  to  overflowing, 
the  surplus  running  from  the  shelf  back  into  the  tub. 
The  master's  mate  then  went  to  the  binnacle  and  got 
the  sick-list,  and  the  list  of  those  whose  grog  was 
stopped  as  punishment.  A  line  was  then  passed  from 
fife-rail  to  pin-rail,  behind  which  the  men  collected. 
The  purser's  steward  then  began  to  call  the  grog-list, 
commencing  at  the  top  one  time  and  at  the  bottom  the 
next,  so  that  no  man  would  twice  in  succession  have  to 
wait  till  the  last. 

As  their  names  were  called,  the  men  ducked  under 
the  line,  stepped  up  to  the  tub,  took  up  one  of  the  tots 
and  tossed  it  off,  raw,  passing  round  out  of  the  way, 
and  going  to  their  different  messes  for  dinner.  The 
master's  mate  kept  a  sharp  lookout  to  see  that  no  one 
"  doubled  the  tub,"  as  it  was  called, — that  is,  slipping 
back  into  the  crowd  and  coming  up  again, — and  also 
that  none  on  the  "  sick"  or  punishment  lists  presented 
themselves. 

By  one  bell,  or  half-past  twelve,  the  different  messes 
had  finished  dinner,  and  the  mess  cooks  washed  up  the 
tin  pots,  pans,  and  spoons,  with  much  rattling  and 
banging,  the  tarpaulin  mess-cloths  were  wiped  off  and 
rolled  up,  and  all  were  taken  below  and  stowed  away  in 
the  mess-chests. 

In  the  United  States  service  it  was  rare  for  the  men 
to  have  the  swinging-tables  between  the  guns,  used  in 
most  navies,  and  they  were  never  used  in  a  single- 
decked  ship.  The  mess-cloth,  about  five  feet  square, 
was  spread  in  its  allotted  space  on  deck,  and  the  men 
to  the  number  of  about  a  dozen  sat  round  it  on  the 
planks  cross-legged. 


68  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

At  meal-hours  a  smoking  lantern  is  lighted,  and  all 
who  choose  to  do  so  smoke  their  pipes.  But,  at  two 
bells,  the  boatswain  and  his  mates  sound  their  "calls"  in 
concert,  call "  all  hands,"  and  then  pipe  the  "  sweepers," 
who  begin  to  sweep  the  decks  down.  All  pipes  are 
then  put  out,  and  the  work  or  drill  of  the  day  goes 
on. 

It  is  one  of  the  unsolved  problems — like  "  what  be- 
comes of  the  pins  ?" — where  all  the  dirt  comes  from  on 
board  ship.  A  man-of-war's  decks  are  always  being 
scrubbed  or  holy-stoned  or  swept;  and  yet,  at  every 
sweeping,  pans  of  dirt  are  taken  up. 

At  two  bells  Erie  and  I  were  sent  down  to  the  sick- 
bay "  to  pass  the  doctor,"  and  then  we  signed  the  arti- 
cles, just  as  I  have  before  described. 

Erie  was  then  given  a  station  on  the  forecastle,  where 
the  older  seamen,  who  are  not  petty  officers,  are  apt  to 
be ;  while  I,  being  young  and  active,  was  put  in  the 
main-top. 

The  main-top  is  not  considered  by  the  sailors  so  de- 
sirable a  station  as  the  fore.  It  is  too  much  under  the 
immediate  eye  of  the  captain  and  officers.  The  sails 
are  somewhat  larger,  but  there  are  more  men  than  in 
the  foretop,  and  there  is  less  work  with  studding-sails. 

In  reefing,  furling,  or  loosing  sails  the  main-topmen 
come  in  for  most  of  the  sarcastic  remarks  and  objurga- 
tions from  the  poop-  and  quarter-deck.  "  Now,  main- 
topmen  !  don't  you  see  how  the  fore  is  beating  you? 
Oh,  you  hay-makers !  Are  you  going  to  sleep  there, 
you  lubbers?" 

There  is  always  great  rivalry  between  the  fore-  and 
main-tops,  and  but  little  mixing  between  these  different 


/  ENTER   THE  NA  VY  AGAIN.  frj 

"parts"  of  the  ship.  The  main-topmen  have  the 
starboard  gangway  to  clean,  work,  and  walk  in,  and 
the  foretopmen  the  port  gangway, — which,  in  all  ships, 
is  somewhat  of  an  Alsatia,  the  officers  never  going 
there  except  on  duty,  while  they  are  continually  passing 
on  the  starboard  side. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

A  CRUISE  ON  THE  COAST  OF  AFRICA. 

HERE  I  was  again  enlisted  in  the  navy.  I  was  now 
about  twenty ;  a  very  stout  and  active  young  man,  and, 
though  I  say  it  myself,  a  good  seaman. 

But  I  began  to  have  an  ambition  to  be  something 
more  than  a  common  fore-mast  hand,  and  I  determined 
to  keep  up  my  navigation  and  other  studies  whenever 
I  had  leisure.  In  the  mean  time  I  made  up  my  mind 

to  do  my  duty,  make  the  cruise  in  the  M ,  and, 

when  I  got  back  to  the  United  States,  to  endeavor  to 
obtain  a  situation  as  mate  of  a  merchant  vessel. 

In  two  or  three  days  after  we  shipped,  the  wind, 
which  had  hung  a  long  time  in  the  west,  came  round 
in  the  night,  and  blew  a  stiff  "  Levanter,"  as  it  is  called. 
This  easterly  wind  enables  vessels  to  stem  the  strong 
current  and  get  out  of  the  straits  into  the  Atlantic. 

Sometimes  a  hundred  sail  or  more  will  collect  about 
Gibraltar,  waiting  for  a  fair  wind.  Some  keep  under 
way,  some  anchor  in  Gibraltar  Bay,  and  some  anchor 
at  the  back  or  eastern  side  of  the  rock,  although  the 
last  is  a  bad  place  in  case  of  the  wind  suddenly  shifting 
round  and  blowing  a  Levanter. 

As  we  were  all  ready,  and  the  official  calls  and  for- 
malities all  completed,  we  took  advantage  of  the  shift 
of  wind  and  were  soon  in  the  straits,  in  company  with 
70 


A    CRUISE  ON  THE  COAST  OF  AFRICA.         f\ 

numerous  vessels  of  all  rigs  and  flags, — and  a  very  pretty 
sight  it  was. 

As  we  were  bound  first  to  Madeira,  we  kept  over  to- 
wards Cape  Spartel ;  and,  as  I  was  aloft  in  the  top,  I 
could  see,  with  a  little  glass  I  had,  the  Mary  still  in  the 
same  place,  with  only  her  lower  masts  standing,  and  a 
great  crowd  of  boats  and  lighters  round  her. 

By  night  we  had  parted  company  and  lost  sight  of 
the  large  fleet  we  had  sailed  with.  Most  of  them  had 
hugged  Cape  Trafalgar,  going  north ;  and  we  were 
rolling  down,  under  studding-sails,  for  Madeira. 

The  M had  been  eighteen  months  in  commission, 

and  was  in  first-rate  order  and  discipline,  with  people 
well  shaken  down  into  their  places. 

There  was  great  dislike,  however,  among  all  hands, 
to  going  down  the  coast  of  Africa :  but  these  were  the 
orders,  and  there  was  no  help  for  it.  In  a  ship  in  good 
condition,  Jack,  as  well  as  his  master,  "  may  growl,  but 
he  goes,"  and  does  not  do  his  work  the  worse  for  a  little 
growling.  The  principal  consolation  was  that  no  one 
could  spend  any  money,  as  the  orders  of  the  Navy 
Department  forbade  any  "liberty,"  or  that  any  one 
should  sleep  on  shore,  except  when  forced  to  do  so,  on 
duty. 

Thus  every  one  would  have  a  large  accumulation  of 
pay  to  their  credit  when  they  returned  to  the  Mediter- 
ranean. 

The  day  after  we  sailed  we  fell  in  with  a  "  school"  of 
dolphins,  in  vast  numbers,  apparently  travelling  to  the 
southwest.  Generally,  these  beautiful  fish  do  not  take 
the  bait,  but  on  this  occasion  they  appeared  to  be  starving, 
for  they  took  bait  of  tin  or  red  flannel  freely.  We 


72  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

must  have  caught  sixty  or  seventy  in  about  an  hour, 
when  they  seemed  suddenly  to  take  a  panic,  and,  quick- 
ening their  speed,  soon  distanced  us.  I  have  never  known 
dolphins  to  act  in  this  way  either  before  or  since.  In- 
deed, long  as  they  have  been  known  and  their  dying 
hues  written  and  talked  about,  we  know  very  little  of 
the  dolphin  or  his  habits. 

That  night  we  had,  for  supper,  glorious  chowder. 
Sailors  generally  put  a  piece  of  silver  in  the  pot  in 
which  bonito,  albicore,  or  dolphin  are  cooked,  as  they 
are  sometimes  poisonous,  especially  in  the  Gulf  of  Mex- 
ico. It  is  supposed  that  any  poison  in  the  fish  will  be 
shown  by  the  silver  becoming  tarnished. 

The  evening  was  a  very  fine  one;  the  breeze  fair, 
and  plenty  of  it.  The  dog-watches  had  been  passed 
in  singing,  dancing,  smoking,  and  skylarking  in  the 
gangways. 

At  eight  o'clock  the  first  watch  was  set, — the  other 
watch  turned  in,  and  silence  prevailed.  On  board  a 
man-of-war  the  custom  is  for  the  lookouts  to  "sing 
out"  every  time  the  bell  strikes,  to  prove  their  watchful- 
ness. 

Thus,  at  one  bell  they  begin  forward,  and  call  in 
succession,  "  Starboard  cat-head !"  "  Port  cat-head  !" 
"  Starboard  gangway  !"  "  Port  gangway  !"  "  Starboard 
quarter !"  "  Port  quarter !"  "  Foretop !"  "  Main-top  !" 
"  Mizzen-top !" 

Just  as  they  ceased  "  passing  the  call"  the  forward 
lookouts  sung  out,  "  Light  ho !"  "  Where  away  ?" 
came  quickly  from  the  quarter-deck.  "  Eight  ahead, 
sir  !  Seems  like  a  vessel  on  fire,  sir !" 

We  were  going  between  eight  and  nine  knots,  and  a 


A   CRUISE  ON  THE  COAST  OF  AFRICA.        73 

few  minutes  showed  that  the  lookouts  were  right,  and 
that  it  was  a  vessel  on  fire. 

In  less  than  an  hour  we  were  close  enough  to  see  that 
it  was  a  large  vessel,  thoroughly  in  flames,  fore  and  aft, 
— her  masts  fallen, — and,  from  her  state,  it  was  impos- 
sible for  any  living  person  to  be  left  on  board.  It  was 
a  grand  sight,  and  the  flames  lighted  up  the  ocean  far 
and  wide.  We  shortened  sail,  and  hove  to  about  a 
third  of  a  mile  to  windward  of  the  burning  vessel, — 
fired  a  gun,  to  attract  attention, — and  lowered  two  boats 
to  pull  down  close  to  and  see  if  we  could  find  any  sur- 
vivors. I  was  in  one  of  the  boats;  but  before  we 
could  get  clear  of  our  ship's  side  the  loud  barking  of 
a  dog  was  heard,  and  two  boats  appeared  in  the  glare 
of  the  fire  pulling  towards  us.  They  were  crowded 
with  people,  and  in  the  bows  of  the  larger  one  a  big 
Newfoundland  dog  was  standing  barking  furiously  for 

j°y- 

They  were  soon  alongside,  and  reported  that  the 
vessel  was  the  Sultan,  bound  from  England  to  the  river 
Plate  with  coal,  and  that  all  hands  were  safe  in  the 
boats.  The  fire  was  supposed  to  have  originated  from 
spontaneous  combustion,  and  they  had  taken  to  the  boats, 
after  all  hopes  of  saving  the  vessel  were  over.  They 
were  just  making  sail  on  the  boats,  with  the  intention 
of  making  for  Madeira,  when  they  heard  our  gun,  and 
saw  the  glare  of  the  fire  on  our  sails. 

They  were  soon  out  of  the  boats,  and  billeted  on  the 
different  messes,  every  mess  wanting  the  big  dog  espe- 
cially, which  frisked  and  jumped  about,  and  was  soon 
friends  with  all  on  board. 

The  yard  and  stay-tackles  were  rigged,  and  the  boats 
D  7 


74  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

got  in  on  our  gangway ;  and  we  then  made  sail  again, 
on  our  voyage,  leaving  the  burning  ship  to  her  fate. 

The  next  afternoon  we  made  the  island  of  Porto 
Santo,  and  soon  afterwards  the  Desertas,  both  arid  and 
forbidding  enough,  and  next  morning  anchored  off 
Funchal.  Our  shipwrecked  passengers  and  their  boats 
were  sent  on  shore,  and  taken  charge  of  by  their  consul. 
The  dog  was  made  a  present  to  our  ship's  company. 
He  was  re-christened  "  Sultan,"  after  his  old  ship,  and 
became  the  prime  pet  of  all  on  board.  Madeira  is  a 
beautiful  island,  with  a  great  variety  of  scenery,  some 
of  it  very  grand.  We  were  not  to  remain  long  there, 
the  principal  object  of  our  visit  being  to  lay  in  wine  for 
our  captain  and  officers,  and  for  the  commodore  of  the 
Mediterranean  squadron.  I  remember  that  the  casks 
were  branded  "  Navy  Madeira,"  and  had  the  name  of 
March  upon  them.  This  gentleman  was  our  consul 
there,  and  I  pulled  an  oar  in  the  boat  which  brought 
him  off  to  the  ship.  He  was  saluted  on  leaving,  and 
gave  our  boat's  crew  two  English  sovereigns  to  drink 
his  health. 

The  landing  is  often  difficult  at  Madeira.  I  never 
had  my  foot  on  shore  there,  but  when  our  officers  landed 
on  the  rough  shingle  beach  in  front  of  the  town,  they 
were  transferred  from  the  ship's  boats  to  shore  boats, 
just  outside  the  surf.  These  shore  boats  were  very 
strongly  built,  so  as  to  be  proof  against  the  banging  on 
the  rough  shingle.  Once  or  twice  we  went  in  to  a  land- 
ing behind  Loo  Rock,  a  very  remarkable  formation 
split  off  from  the  mainland.  Here  our  passengers  had 
to  watch  their  chance,  and  jump  into  the  boat  as  she 
rose  and  fell  on  the  everlasting  Atlantic  swell. 


A    CRUISE  ON  THE  COAST  OF  AFRICA.         75 

The  ship  was  under  sailing  orders  on  the  third  day. 
But  some  of  our  officers  who  were  making  an  excur- 
sion in  the  island  were  detained,  and  our  sailing  was 
delayed  for  the  next  day.  Every  one  on  board  was 
anxious  enough  to  be  off,  for  the  weather  was  very 
threatening ;  and  it  sometimes  blows  very  heavily  from 
southwest,  while  the  holding-ground  is  very  bad,  being 
better,  however,  towards  Loo  Rock  than  to  the  south. 

That  night,  about  ten  o'clock,  it  began  to  pipe  up  in 
gusts,  and  a  heavy  swell  set  in,  increasing  every  mo- 
ment. The  most  of  the  island  small  craft  had  got 
under  way  before  sunset,  and,  making  one  or  two 
stretches  to  windward,  had  run  away  for  a  lee  on  the 
other  side  of  the  island.  The  boatmen  had  also  hauled 
up  their  boats  as  high  as  they  could  get  them,  showing 
what  they  expected. 

By  half-past  ten  it  was  blowing  too  hard,  dead  on 
shore,  for  us  to  undertake  to  get  under  way,  especially 
in  the  face  of  such  a  swell,  and  with  the  short  sail  we 
should  have  been  obliged  to  carry. 

All  hands  were  called,  and  the  lower  yards  sent  down 
and  top-masts  housed.  The  second  anchor  had  been 
let  go,  and  chain  veered  on  both  bowers  some  time 
before. 

At  midnight  it  was  blowing  very  hard,  and  it  was 
evident  we  were  dragging  ;  not  only  by  the  lead,  in  the 
main  chains,  but  by  the  changed  bearings  of  the  lights 
on  shore,  while  Loo  Rock  seemed  to  grow  more  and 
more  overheard.  One  or  two  rasps  on  its  rocky  sides 
would  have  sent  the  ship  to  the  bottom,  with  little 
chance  of  a  living  soul  reaching  the  shore. 

Both  sheet-anchors  were  cleared  away  and  let  go, 


76  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

and  chain  veered  on  the  bowers  and  then  on  the  sheets. 
We  had  now  done  all  we  could. 

The  sea  was  by  this  time  so  fearful  that  the  ship 
would  appear  to  rear  almost  upright,  and,  as  the  swell 
passed  under  her,  would  plunge  down  into  the  trough, 
taking  in  through  the  hawse-pipes  and  over  the  fore- 
castle volumes  of  water,  deluging  the  decks  and  drown- 
ing the  pigs  and  poultry  in  the  manger  and  under  the 
launch. 

The  chains  surged  and  quivered,  and  extra  stoppers 
were  clapped  on  them,  and  carefully  watched  by  expe- 
rienced seamen,  under  the  charge  of  the  old  gunner. 

Thus  passed  a  wretched  night.  The  ship  dragged  a 
little  in  spite  of  her  four  anchors,  and  when  the  gray, 
greasy  daylight  came  we  seemed  so  close  to  the  rock, 
which,  crowned  by  a  fort,  towered  high  above  our  mast- 
heads, that  it  seemed  a  wonder  that  the  surf  and  spray, 
rebounding  from  the  precipice,  did  not  fall  upon  our 
poop. 

People  appeared  on  the  rampart  of  the  old  fort,  peer- 
ing down  upon  us  through  the  storm,  no  doubt  anxious 
enough  for  us,  but  they  could  do  nothing.  The  ship 
tugged  and  tore  at  her  chains,  and  reared  and  plunged 
like  a  mad  horse,  while  the  squalls  came  in  rapid  suc- 
cession, and  the  huge  swells  poured  in,  from  the  whole 
sweep  of  the  Atlantic,  with  dreadful,  unrelenting  regu- 
larity. 

Our  sailing-master,  who  could  now  make  out  the 
bearings,  said  we  had  dragged  into  a  spot  which  the 
chart  showed  to  be  good  holding-ground,  and  that,  if 
our  chains  and  anchors  only  proved  true,  we  might  ride 
the  gale  out  safely,  perilous  as  our  position  was. 


A   CRUISE   ON  THE   COAST  OF  AFRICA.         77 

At  sunset  the  squalls  began  to  have  longer  intervals, 
and  there  was  a  break  along  the  horizon  to  the  west 
and  southwest.  By  midnight  the  wind  had  abated  and 
hauled  round,  somewhat  off  the  land.  It  was  late  next 
day,  however,  before  the  sea  permitted  us  to  get  our 
anchors,  and  to  make  sail  and  anchor  again  in  our 
former  position. 

Two  brigs  were  driven  on  shore  in  this  gale  in  front 
of  the  town.  In  one  all  hands  were  lost,  and  in  the 
other  only  one  man  was  saved. 

No  one  who  was  in  the  M in  that  blow  will  ever 

forget  it. 

As  soon  as  the  sea  went  down  sufficiently  to  permit 
communication  with  the  shore  our  officers  came  off,  and 
we  sailed  at  once  for  the  Canaries. 

The  wind  was  fresh  and  fair,  as  it  is  apt  to  be  on 
this  passage,  and  the  next  morning  all  hands  were  called 
to  air  bedding  and  dry  clothes.  Most  of  the  hammocks 
and  clothing  had  got  wet,  and  now  every  one  unlashed 
their  hammocks,  shook  loose  the  blankets,  etc.,  and, 
taking  one  secure  hitch  of  the  lashing  round  the  mid- 
dle, made  them  fast  to  the  standing  rigging,  where  the 
sun  and  wind  would  have  fair  play.  Then  the  pea- 
jackets  and  other  clothing  were  spread  out  on  the  booms 
and  forecastle,  while  the  poop  was  occupied  by  the  clothes 
and  boots  of  the  officers.  In  well-regulated  men-of- 
war  the  bedding  is  aired  in  this  way  as  often  as  the 
circumstances  permit,  and  clean  hammocks  frequently 
slung.  Nothing  points  to  bad  condition  in  a  man-of- 
war  more  than  a  netting  full  of  dirty  hammocks,  unless 
it  be  dirty  and  untidy  boats. 

On  the  second  day  we  had  a  splendid  view  of  the 


78  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

Peak  of  Teneriffe,  which  appeared  like  a  triangular 
white  cloud,  the  distance  being  too  great  to  make  out 
the  base  of  the  mountain.  We  might  have  anchored 
in  Santa  Cruz  the  next  day,  but  our  captain  preferred 
to  go  first  to  Las  Palmas,  Grand  Canary,  to  give  "  lib- 
erty" to  the  men. 

Las  Palmas  is  a  handsome  little  city.,  formerly  the 
capital  of  the  Canaries,  and  still  the  favorite  residence 
of  the  nobility  of  the  islands.  A  fine  stream  comes 
dashing  through  the  centre  of  the  town  from  the  hills 
in  the  rear,  and  it  is  very  clean  and  neat,  although 
thoroughly  Spanish  in  appearance  and  architecture. 
This  was  the  first  place  where  I  had  ever  seen  kitchens 
in  the  upper  story,  the  labor  of  carrying,  or  hauling 
up,  the  wood,  water,  and  provisions  being  compensated 
by  the  freedom  from  kitchen  heat  and  smells.  The 
island  is  very  fertile,  and  the  fishery,  for  tunny  es- 
pecially, very  thriving.  There  is  a  very  handsome 
stone  bridge  over  the  stream  which  brawls  and  bustles 
through  the  town,  and  it  has  a  very  solid  and  beautiful 
mole. 

The  bay  in  front  is  large,  and  has  good  anchorage ; 
but  is  liable  to  sudden  "  rollers," — great  waves  which 
come  in,  to  the  number  of  from  three  to  nine,  with- 
out any  warning,  and  which  frequently  do  damage. 
While  we  lay  there  one  of  these  occurred,  and  an 
American  lumber-laden  brig,  lying  with  rather  slack 
rigging  and  short  scope  of  chain,  pitched  so  suddenly 
to  it  as  to  snap  off  her  jib-boom  and  foretop-gallant 
mast.  At  the  end  of  the  mole  a  watch  is  stationed 
during  the  day,  and  when  the  surf  is  dangerous  they 
warn  boats  off  until  a  smooth  time  comes,  when,  upon 


A    CRUISE  ON   THE   COAST  OF  AFRICA.         79 

signal,  they  pull  rapidly  in  round  the  extremity  of  the 
mole,  and  find  themselves  safe  in  a  snug  basin. 

While  we  lay  here  our  dingy  went  in,  one  morning 
before  daylight,  as  the  market  boat,  and,  instead  of 
waiting  till  day  to  see  if  all  was  safe,  the  coxswain 
pulled  straight  in ;  the  boat  was  caught  in  the  surf, 
capsized,  and  two  of  her  crew  and  the  ward-room 
steward  were  drowned.  The  rest  got  on  shore  with 
great  difficulty.  The  body  of  only  one  of  the  men  was 
found,  the  other  two  went  out  to  sea  and  were  never 
recovered. 

Liberty  was  given  here  by  watches,  each  watch  having 
forty-eight  hours.  The  men  behaved  remarkably  well, 
and  there  was  comparatively  little  drunkenness.  In- 
deed, the  ship's  company  of  the  M had  been  ac- 
customed to  have  so  much  liberty  in  the  Mediterranean 
that  they  did  not,  when  on  shore,  go  into  the  same  ex- 
cesses as  crews  who  were  only  allowed  to  touch  the  land 
once  or  twice  a  year.  Riding  on  horses  or  mules  was 
the  favorite  amusement.  I  went  with  a  party  of  my 
messmates  some  distance  in  the  interior,  having  a  very 
pleasant  trip.  We  wound  along  roads  cut  into  the 
sides  of  the  mountains,  sometimes  overhanging  preci- 
pices. At  such  places  we  often  found  caves,  said  to 
have  been  made  by  the  Guanches,  or  original  inhabit- 
ants, and  now  occupied  by  the  peasants  as  residences. 
These  caves  seem  to  have  been  placed  in  the  most  dan- 
gerous spots,  no  doubt  with  a  view  to  defence ;  and  I 
noticed  here  that  very  young  children  were  tethered  by 
one  leg,  so  that  they  could  play  about,  and  yet  not 
reach  the  dangerous  edge.  This  is  a  precaution  taken 
by  people  who  live  in  boats  in  various  parts  of  the 


80  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

world,  but  I  never  remember  to  have  seen  it  done  any- 
where else  on  shore. 

The  second  day  we  went  to  Isleta,  a  mountain  con- 
nected with  the  main  island  by  a  long,  narrow  sand- 
beach.  On  the  way  we  passed  our  assistant  surgeon, 
who,  with  some  Spanish  soldiers  he  had  hired,  was  ex- 
cavating some  of  the  singular  arched  Guanche  graves, 
and  he  had  quite  a  bagful  of  skulls  and  bones  and  stone 
weapons  slung  over  the  back  of  a  donkey. 

On  Isleta  there  were  a  great  number  of  caves,  with 
smaller  ones  attached,  which  are  said  to  have  been 
granaries.  The  doors  looked  like  pigeon-holes  cut  in 
the  precipice.  This  group  of  caves  was  approached  by 
a  very  narrow  path  dug  in  the  sheer  rock,  and  so  one 
man  could  easily  defend  it  against  any  number.  These 
caves  are  only  used  at  present  by  goatherds  and  their 
flocks  of  goats,  which  pick  up  a  living  on  the  rocky 
island. 

While  up  at  these  caves,  we  could  look  straight  down, 
several  hundred  feet,  and  see  the  sandy  bottom  of  a 
shallow  bay.  Here  a  large  cow-whale  was  playing, 
rubbing  her  back  on  the  sand  to  take  off  the  barnacles, 
and  tossing  her  little  one  from  one  flipper  to  another, 
almost  as  a  human  mother  would  do. 

Returning  at  the  expiration  of  our  "  liberty,"  much 
the  better  for  the  change  and  amusement,  I  brought 
old  Kemp  off.  He  had  scarcely  stirred  from  the  "  pul- 
peria,"  or  grog-shop,  where  he  had  established  himself 
on  going  on  shore,  and  was  in  a  very  boozy  condition. 
But  I  noticed,  as  he  got  older,  that  he  was  not  so  noisy 
and  quarrelsome  in  his  cups. 

We  sailed  from  Grand  Canary,  after  a  week's  stay, 


A   CRUISE  ON  THE   COAST  OF  AFRICA.         gl 

for  Porto  Praya,  St.  Jago,  Cape  Verdes.  Here  the 
government  had  a  store-house,  and  we  were  to  replenish 
our  stores  and  fill  up  with  water  before  going  on  the 
coast. 

The  first  night  out  I  had  a  very  narrow  escape  from 
death. 

The  wind  was  fair,  but  the  sea  rough  and  "  lumpy," 
as  it  is  apt  to  be  in  the  neighborhood  of  these  islands. 
I  was  aloft,  in  the  main-top,  when  an  order  was  given 
to  take  in  the  studding-sails,  as  there  were  squally  ap- 
pearances. I  went  out  on  the  top-sail  yard  to  stop  in  the 
gear,  and  while  doing  so  I  lost  my  hold  with  a  weather 
roll,  and  fell  a  height  of  about  seventy-five  feet,  just 
missing  the  rail  and  sheet-anchor.  The  ship  was  going 
fast,  and  I  suppose  I  was  somewhat  stunned  by  striking 
the  water ;  at  any  rate,  when  I  came  to  I  could  not  see 
the  vessel.  In  a  second,  however,  I  saw  the  port-fire 
of  the  life-buoy,  which  had  been  let  go  for  me,  and 
managed  to  get  hold  of  the  buoy ;  but  the  confused  sea 
breaking  round  me  rendered  it  almost  impossible  to 
breathe,  or  to  hold  on.  Just  as  I  was  on  the  point  of 
giving  up  and  letting  go  of  the  knotted  life-line,  I  felt 
myself  roughly  seized  and  jerked  upwards.  I  knew 
nothing  more  until  I  found  myself  in  a  cot  in  the  sick- 
bay of  the  M .  In  a  day  or  two  I  was  all  right, 

except  that  I  felt  very  sore  and  stiff.  I  was  told  that 
about  twenty  minutes  elapsed  from  the  time  I  fell  until 
I  was  picked  up.  The  port-fire  burnt  out  just  before 
the  boat  got  to  me,  and  it  was  almost  by  chance  that 
they  found  me.  The  boat  got  back  to  the  ship  just  in 
time  to  allow  them  to  pass  me  over  the  side  in  a  bow- 
line, and  for  the  boat's  crew  to  tumble  after  me,  before 

D* 


82  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

the  squall  struck  us.  It  was  too  late  to  hook  on  and 
hoist  the  boat,  and  she  soon  parted  the  painter  by  which 
she  was  veered  astern,  and  we  lost  her. 

On  this  occasion  a  very  few  minutes  made  the  differ- 
ence between  life  and  death  for  me. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

FROM  ST.  JAGO  TO  MONROVIA  AND  CAPE  PALMAS. 

THE  Cape  Verde  Islands  are  most  bare  and  arid- 
looking,  and  frequently  several  years  pass  there  with- 
out rain,  which  always  creates  distress  and  sometimes 
famine.  We  know  that  these  islands  when  discovered 
were  very  fertile,  and  clothed  with  luxuriant  forests, 
so  all  this  change  in  climate  seems  the  direct  result  of 
cutting  them  oif. 

While  we  were  here  there  was  much  suffering  from 
failure  of  crops,  and  a  brig  arrived  from  Philadelphia 
loaded  with  corn,  as  a  contribution  from  benevolent 
people  there.  The  captain  of  the  brig  seemed  to  have 
some  trouble  with  the  custom-house  authorities,  who 
refused  to  let  him  land  his  cargo  without  paying  the 
regular  duties  and  fees.  He  came  on  board  to  see  our 
captain  for  advice  as  to  what  he  was  to  do,  and  was  ad- 
vised to  sell  enough  of  the  cargo  to  obtain  money  to  pay 
the  duties,  and  to  land  his  corn  before  it  got  spoilt.  I 
heard  some  of  our  officers  say  that  poor,  starving 
wretches  would  walk  miles  into  town  for  the  sake 
of  having  a  quart  of  corn  doled  out  to  them,  which 
they  then  simply  mashed  in  a  mortar  and  cooked  in 
cakes,  or,  more  frequently,  boiled  the  grains  whole 
until  they  were  somewhat  softened,  and  then  ate  them. 
It  was  suspected  by  some  that  several  of  the  minor 
officials  made  a  good  thing  out  of  the  sale  of  part  of 


84  THIRTY   YEARS  AT  SEA. 

this  cargo,  which  was  intended  to  be  freely  distributed, 
both  as  seed  and  as  food,  but  I  don't  know  the  truth 
of  this. 

Replenishing  our  provisions  and  water,  we  sailed 
from  Porto  Praya  for  Monrovia,  the  principal  town  of 
Liberia.  Calms,  light  winds,  and  heavy  squalls  off  the 
land  prevailed,  and  we  were  more  than  a  fortnight  on 
the  passage,  the  weather  being  now  very  hot  and  op- 
pressive. The  squalls  of  which  I  spoke  were  very 
peculiar.  The  sailors  call  them  "  pompy-doodles." 
During  the  day  we  would  crawl  along,  just  in  sight  of 
the  coast,  with  perhaps  a  faint  sea-breeze,  towards  after- 
noon, to  fan  us  a  few  miles  farther  south.  But  before 
sundown  clouds  would  gather  and  bank  over  the  land 
in  a  most  threatening  manner,  with  vivid  lightning 
and  distant  thunder,  and  about  nine  or  ten  o'clock  a 
dark-arched  squall  would  rush  out  seaward,  driving 
the  spray  and  spoon-drift  before  it.  There  wras  nothing 
to  be  done  but  to  reduce  sail,  point  the  ship's  head  to 
the  westward,  and  run  before  it.  Sometimes  we  had 
to  run  off  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  before  it  was  safe  to 
bring  the  ship  to,  a  distance  which  we  would  be  the 
best  part  of  the  next  day  in  regaining.  There  was  one 
good  thing  about  these  squalls,  and  that  was  that  they 
gave  plenty  of  warning,  and  no  one  who  had  his  eyes 
about  him  had  any  right  either  to  be  dismasted  or 
capsized  by  them. 

Monrovia  is  situated  on  a  ridge,  which  terminates  in 
Cape  Mesurado.  To  the  north  of  the  town  the  St. 
Paul  River  empties  into  an  exposed  bight  of  the  coast, 
over  a  bar  on  which  there  is  always  a  surf,  and  on 
which  many  a  boat  has  been  capsized,  and  many  a  poor 


TO  MONROVIA  AND   CAPE  PALMAS.  85 

drowned  fellow  has  become  food  for  the  sharks,  which 
are  plenty,  and  large,  outside  the  bar. 

Between  the  ridge  and  the  river,  at  the  foot  of  the 
hill,  on  a  little  semicircle  of  white  beach,  is  situated 
"Kroo-town,"  a  settlement  of  natives  who  live  by 
working  on  men-of-war  and  merchantmen  while  they 
are  cruising  on  the  coast.  The  town  of  Monrovia  is 
somewhat  like  a  scattered  American  country  town, 
mostly  built  of  wood,  but  with  some  quite  good  brick 
buildings. 

One  misses  the  sight  of  white  faces,  as  associated 
with  European  dress,  while  the  exuberance  of  tropical 
vegetation,  which  even  overruns  the  streets,  constantly 
reminds  one  that  he  is  not  in  America,  at  least  in  the 
Yankee  part.  This  growth  in  the  streets  and  suburbs 
could  hardly  be  kept  down  by  a  more  energetic  popu- 
lation than  the  American  negroes  and  their  descendants, 
who  are  settled  there. 

Long  before  we  reached  our  anchorage  we  were 
boarded  by  the  Kroomen,  anxious  to  be  shipped  for 
the  period  of  the  vessel's  stay  upon  the  coast.  These 
people  are  most  useful  in  the  boats,  saving  the  white 
crew  from  fever  and  sunstroke,  and  being  cool  and 
handy  in  the  surf. 

If  allowed  to  sing  and  chatter  a  little  among  them- 
selves, they  will  pull  immense  distances  without  flag- 
ging, and  when  the  head-man  sings  out,"Apooly!  I 
see  copper !"  which  means  that  he  can  see  the  ship's 
copper  as  she  rolls,  they  will  strike  a  real  racing  stroke, 
and  come  alongside  in  dashing  fashion. 

They  also  pull  and  haul  and  work  about  decks  at 
sea,  but  never  go  aloft.  They  are  generally  pretty 


86  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

black,  and  well  made,  with  small  hands  and  feet. 
Some  have  the  front  teeth  filed  to  a  point,  while  all 
have  blue  marks  tattooed  on  the  forehead  and  bridge 
of  the  nose,  and  a  mark  on  each  temple,  like  a  shark's 
tail  or  broad  arrow. 

They  came  off  in  the  tiniest  canoes,  handsomely 
made  from  a  single  tree,  and  the  largest  carrying  not 
more  than  two  men.  These  canoes  they  manage  to 
perfection,  even  in  a  rough  sea,  while  one  unaccustomed 
to  them  would  be  capsized  in  a  moment.  To  be  sure, 
these  frail  barques  take  in  plenty  of  water,  but  the 
paddler  has  no  clothes  on  to  speak  of,  and  kicks  the 
water  out  of  the  trough  in  which  he  sits  with  his  flat 
foot  about  as  fast  as  it  comes  in,  paddling  away  all  the 
time  for  dear  life.  Sometimes  they  do  capsize,  and 
then  the  swimming  Krooman  seizes  his  shallow  canoe 
by  one  end,  "swashes"  most  of  the  water  out  by  push- 
ing it  rapidly  back  and  forth,  and  then  manages  to  get 
in  again.  The  others  only  laugh,  and  never  think  of 
stopping  to  help  him. 

Around  their  heads  they  tie  the  breech-cloth,  and  in 
it  place  whatever  they  wish  to  keep  dry.  When  they 
get  alongside,  they  stop  in  the  main-chains  to  adjust  the 
cloth,  thus  making  their  toilet  before  stepping  on  deck. 

The  greatest  rivalry  exists  between  the  "  head" 
Kroomen  to  get  engaged.  When  a  head-man  is  en- 
gaged he  selects  his  "second,"  and  then  the  number 
of  men  required  ;  and  he  becomes  personally  respon- 
sible for  their  good  behavior  and  industry :  blowing 
them  up,  and  even  thrashing  them  occasionally,  which 
they  stand  still  and  take,  like  lambs. 

These  head  Kroomen  are  the  ones  who,  by  cxper- 


TO  MONROVIA  AND   CAPE  PALM  AS.  87 

ience,  and  ability  to  speak  a  little  English  or  French, 
as  well  as  by  natural  force  of  character,  are  enabled  to 
become  the  leaders  of  a  clique, — for  Kroomen  really 
have  no  chiefs. 

When  they  are  paid  off  from  a  ship,  they  quickly 
change  their  dollars  into  cotton  cloth,  rum,  powder, 
guns,  copper  bars,  and  such  like  merchandise ;  buy  a 
couple  of  wives,  and  settle  down  to  enjoy  their  ease. 
When  their  goods  are  spent  they  get  up  another  crew, 
ship  again,  and  their  wives  are  very  apt  to  run  away 
or  be  stolen.  Thus  they  begin  life  anew  many  times. 

When  first  they  join  a  vessel  they  ask  to  be  given  a 
name,  which  name  generally  savors  of  nautical  jocosity. 
Such  names  as  Tom  Dollar,  Bottle  of  Beer,  Snow- 
drop, Flying-jib,  Two-forty,  and  Yellow-jacket  are 
entered  on  the  ship's  books,  and  responded  to  at  gen- 
eral muster  with  all  gravity.  In  their  intercourse  with 
vessels  they  speak  a  conventional  lingo,  made  up  of 
English,  Portuguese,  and  their  own  tongue;  something 
like  the  "  pigeon  English"  in  use  in  China.  As  an 
example  I  may  mention  the  word  "  lib,"  or  live.  They 
speak  of  one  who  is  dead  as  having  "  lib  for  die."  If 
he  has  gone  into  the  interior,  "  he  lib  for  bush." 

"  Sea-breeze"  was  our  head  Krooman,  and  one  of 
the  finest-looking  Africans  I  ever  saw.  He  was  very 
intelligent,  and  had  a  great  deal  of  native  dignity  and 
politeness.  Twenty-one  others  were  selected  by  him, 
who  at  once  came  on  board  and  took  up  their  quarters 
in  the  port  gangway,  where  they  lived  and  slept  on 
deck,  hardly  ever  going  below. 

The  head  Krooman  got  the  wages  of  a  seaman ;  the 
second,  that  of  an  ordinary  seaman ;  while  the  rest 


88  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

were  paid  as  landsmen.  They  were  dressed  in  the  or- 
dinary blue  flannel  frock  and  trousers,  and  blue  cloth 
cap. 

While  on  the  coast  no  white  men  ever  went  in  the 
boats,  except  on  special  expeditions.  All  the  exposing 
work,  in  sun  or  rain,  was  done  by  the  Kroomen. 

While  at  Monrovia  we  heard  that  there  was  trouble 
with  the  natives  at  Cape  Palraas,  in  the  "  Maryland 
Colony."  The  settlement  there  is  situated  much  like 
Monrovia.  The  ridge  is  not  so  high,  however,  and 
the  river  not  so  considerable;  while  the  land  is  less 
swampy,  and  the  climate  not  so  damp. 

The  town  is  called  "  Harper/'  and  immediately  ad- 
joining it  is  a  large  native  town  of  Grebos,  who  are 
under  the  influence  arid  protection  of  the  American 
negroes,  but  who  retain  their  own  chiefs,  mode  of 
life,  and  dress,  or  rather,  want  of  dress. 

These  Grebos  claimed,  and  had  cultivated,  a  strip 
of  rice-land  on  the  north  of  the  town,  through  which 
a  little  river  ran  to  the  sea.  Lately,  this  land  had  been 
encroached  upon  by  a  much  more  savage  tribe,  whose 
town  was  three  or  four  miles  to  the  north,  and  which 
was  called  Rocktown  by  the  colonists. 

These  Rocktown  people  had  frequently  attacked  the 
Grebos, — killing  some,  and  carrying  others  off  as  pris- 
oners,— and  on  one  occasion  had  set  fire  to  the  thatched 
huts  of  the  Gr6bo  town,  endangering  the  civilized  set- 
tlement. 

Our  captain  was  therefore  called  on  to  interfere  to 
prevent  further  trouble.  A  formal  message  was  sent  to 
the  Rocktown  chief,  "  Jen^Jack,"  to  come  on  board  our 
ship,  hold  a  "  palaver,"  and  make  a  peace.  To  this 


TO  MONROVIA   AND    CAPE  P ALMAS.  #9 

message  Jem  Jack  returned  an  answer  more  forcible 
than  polite,  that  he  would  not  come,  and  that  the  cap- 
tain and  the  rest  of  them  might  go  to  a  very  warm 
place.  Although  he  was  answerable  for  the  sentiment, 
the  phrase  in  which  it  was  expressed  was  a  very  com- 
mon one,  learned  from  profane  traders  and  sailors.  Of 
course  this  would  never  do ;  and  another  message  was 
sent  to  say  that  if  he  did  not  come  and  make  peace  he 
would  have  his  town  destroyed.  This  town  consisted 
of  about  a  hundred  large,  conical  thatched  houses. 

Jem  Jack  replied  to  the  second  message  that  he  "  no 
wanchee  palaver!  wanchee  war!"  and  also  intimated 
that  if  the  messenger  returned  again,  he  would  cut  his 
nose  and  ears  off  and  make  him  eat  them. 

It  clearly  became  necessary  to  take  strong  measures 
with  this  truculent  savage.  His  town  was  on  the  sea- 
shore, but  in  front  of  it  were  patches  of  rock  and  shoal 
water,  and  Jem  Jack  supposed  that  the  ship  could  not 
get  in  close  enough  for  her  guns  to  reach.  He  also 
knew  that  if  we  landed  men  and  marched  round  we 
should  have  a  disadvantage  in  the  bush-fighting,  while, 
when  finally  beaten,  he  could  carry  off  his  valuables, 
and  with  his  people  take  to  the  bush. 

But  by  dint  of  careful  sounding  in  the  boats  a  track 
was  laid  out,  by  which  we  warped  the  vessel  in  with 
kedges, — the  weather  being  calm  and  the  sea  unusually 
smooth.  No  sooner  had  we  sprung  the  ship  so  that 
her  battery  of  thirty-two-pounders  would  bear,  than  we 
opened  on  the  capital  of  our  friend  Jem  Jack. 

Most  of  his  subjects  had  taken  to  their  heels  on  see- 
ing the  ship  so  near,  and  the  damage  done  was  princi- 
pally to  the  houses,  some  of  which  were  soon  knocked 


90  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

down  and  set  on  fire  by  the  shells,  or  by  the  live  coals 
of  the  cooking-places.  Pigs  and  poultry  were  running 
in  every  direction,  and  in  twenty  minutes  there  was  not 
a  living  thing  in  the  town,  while  the  fire  was  burning 
merrily. 

As  our  captain  did  not  wish  to  utterly  destroy  the 
place,  but  only  to  bring  them  to  reason,  we  now  secured 
our  battery,  weighed  our  kedges,  and,  setting  our  top- 
sails to  a  light  land-breeze  which  had  sprung  up, 
"  backed  and  filled"  the  ship  back  to  her  anchorage. 

By  this  time  it  was  sundown,  and  we  had  hardly 
come  to  again,  when  a  canoe  arrived  alongside  to  say 
that  Jem  Jack  and  his  head-men  would  be  on  board 
the  next  morning,  to  hold  a  palaver  with  the  colonists 
and  the  Gre"bos. 

Next  day  a  number  of  the  leading  American  settlers, 
some  of  whom  spoke  the  native  languages,  and  could 
interpret  for  our  officers,  came  off  early. 

About  ten  o'clock  two  large  war-canoes,  each  pulling 
about  thirty  paddles,  and  filled  with  negroes,  came 
dashing  off  from  the  Grebo  town.  Four  or  five  fellows 
in  the  bows,  with  native  drums  and  horns,  made  a  fear- 
ful noise,  while  the  paddlers  shouted  and  yelled  like 
mad.  The  head-men  sat,  in  a  very  dignified  manner, 
wrapped  in  "  longs"  of  bright-colored  calico,  with  any 
number  of  "  fetiche"  charms,  or  "  gree-grees,"  round 
their  necks  and  arms.  Each  one  had  a  high  silk  hart 
on,  some  white,  some  black,  with  the  under  part  of  the 
brim  of  pink  or  green,  or  some  other  bright  color. 
Only  the  head-men  were  allowed  to  come  on  board, 
and  the  musicians  were  ordered  to  keep  silence,  on  pain 
of  being  made  to  shove  off. 


TO  MONROVIA   AND   CAPE  P ALMAS.  91 

In  a  short  time  the  Rocktown  men  came  off  in  simi- 
lar canoes.  They  were  made  to  come  on  the  other  side, 
and  Jem  Jack  and  his  head-men  ranged  themselves  on 
the  quarter-deck  opposite  to  the  Grebos. 

Jem  Jack  himself  was  a  remarkable  figure.  He  had 
on  a  high  silk  hat  with  a  broad  strip  of  gold  lace  round 
it,  an  old  soldier's  coat  much  too  small  for  him,  a 
scanty  breech-cloth,  and  nothing  else.  From  his  neck 
hung  down  below  his  knees  a  leather  strap,  at  the  end 
of  which  was  a  large  brass  cow-bell,  which  he  kicked 
each  time  he  stepped,  causing  a  most  doleful  sound. 
He  was  an  athletic  negro,  over  six  feet  high,  and  had 
a  most  villainous  expression  of  countenance,  which  was 
heightened  by  his  teeth  being  filed  to  a  point.  He 
glanced  wickedly  enough  at  the  GrSbos,  who  did  not 
seem  altogether  to  like  his  neighborhood,  even  under 
the  protection  of  our  quarter-deck. 

As  soon  as  all  was  quiet  our  captain  stood  up  and 
addressed  both  parties.  He  said  he  was  not  going  to 
have  any  more  fighting, — that  they  must  make  peace 
and  keep  it, — and  that  they  were  to  restore  any  pris- 
oners or  plunder  which  they  might  have,  for  which 
purpose  they  were  here  to  hold  a  palaver.  All  this 
having  been  interpreted  by  one  of  the  American  negroes, 
Jem  Jack  suddenly  burst  out,  in  the  "  English"  used  by 
the  coast-traders,  "My  no  wanchee  palaver!  wanchee 
war !  My  Jem  Jack !  My  properee  war-man  !  My  lib 
for  bush ! — no  lib  for  d — n  footy  Gr6bo-nigger  town  !" 
Here  he  was  stopped  by  an  impressive  gesture  of  our 
captain,  and  was  given  to  understand  that  there  was 
enough  of  that ;  that  if  he  did  not  come  to  terms  his 
town  should  be  entirely  destroyed,  and  he,  with  his 


92  THIRTY  TEARS  AT  SEA. 

people,  be  driven  off  the  coast,  and  prevented  from 
holding  any  trade.  This  was  a  serious  threat,  for  the 
coast  negroes  act  as  brokers  for  those  from  the  interior, 
and,  taking  toll  on  both  sides,  make  a  good  thing  of  it. 

After  much  talk,  lasting  more  than  an  hour,  it  was 
announced  that  the  belligerents  had  come  to  terms,  and 
the  palaver  was  "sot,"  or  finished.  The  American 
negroes  said  that  Jem  would  probably  keep  the  treaty 
if  all  the  usual  ceremonies  were  fulfilled  without  any 
omission,  and  that  care  must  be  taken  to  see  that  he 
went  through  all  the  forms,  and  did  not,  to  use  their 
expression,  "  play  'possum." 

A  small  table  was  brought  on  deck,  on  which  was 
placed  a  large  basin  of  fresh  water  and  a  plate  of 
"  hard-tack."  Jem  Jack  and  the  head-man  of  the 
Gr6bos  then  approached  the  table,  dipped  their  faces 
in  the  water,  and  each  filled  his  mouth.  Then,  stand- 
ing up,  they  grasped  hands,  and  spirted  the  water  from 
their  mouths  over  each  other. 

Next  they  took  a  piece  of  the  hard  bread  and  broke 
it  between  them,  each  putting  a  piece  in  his  mouth 
and  watching  the  other,  to  see  that  he  put  his  piece  in 
exactly  at  the  same  time.  An  old  fetiche  man  now 
brought  out  a  box,  something  like  a  snuff-box,  which 
he  held  open,  and  the  two  chiefs  each  wet  the  tip  of  a 
finger,  and,  taking  a  little  of  a  brown  powder  from  the 
box,  put  it  on  the  tongue.  After  this  they  "  snapped 
fingers"  several  times,  and  peace  was  concluded. 

We  learned  afterwards  that  the  brown  powder  was 
made  from  a  human  heart,  dried  and  smoked,  and  was 
a  "  grand  fetiche"  for  making  people  speak  the  truth. 

A  banquet  of  bean-soup,  boiled  pork,  hard  bread, 


TO   MONROVIA   AND   CAPE  PALM  AS.  93 

and  whiskey  was  then  served  to  the  high  contracting 
powers,  who,  squatted  on  their  hams,  seemed  to  enjoy 
it  exceedingly.  The  two  parties  kept  separate,  how- 
ever, and  pretended  not  to  notice  each  other's  presence. 
While  the  banquet  was  going  on,  a  canoe  was  sent  to 
Rocktown  by  Jem  Jack  to  bring  the  Grebo  prisoners, 
to  be  delivered  to  their  friends.  There  had  been  two 
of  these,  but  only  one  was  brought  off,  as  it  was  de- 
clared the  other  had  died  that  day.  This  was  quite 
probable,  judging  from  the  condition  of  the  poor  wretch 
who  was  brought  off.  He  had  been  secured  by  split- 
ting a  long,  straight  tree,  cutting  notches  in  the  pieces, 
and  placing  his  ankles  in  them.  The  ends  of  the  tree 
were  then  lashed  together,  and  in  this  way,  without 
protection  from  sun  or  dew,  and  almost  without  food, 
had  he  been  kept  for  several  days.  His  legs  and  feet 
were  a  mass  of  foul  ulcers,  and  he  was  almost  a  skele- 
ton. Our  doctors  kept  him  on  board  until  we  sailed, 
and  he  was  much  better  when  he  was  taken  on  shore 
at  last. 

Soon  after  the  prisoner  was  delivered  they  all  went 
on  shore,  the  Gr6bos  going  first,  to  prevent  collision. 
Their  town  was  alive  with  bonfires,  gun-firing,  yelling, 
and  singing  all  the  succeeding  night,  while  Jem  Jack's 
town  preserved  an  ominous  silence  and  darkness.  But 
he  kept  the  treaty,  at  least  for  a  considerable  time ;  out 
of  fear,  no  doubt,  of  a  repetition  of  our  discipline. 


CHAPTER   X. 

I  AM   PROMOTED   TO   BE   COXSWAIN,  AND   WE   CRUISE 
SOUTH   OF   THE   LINE. 

WHILE  at  Cape  Pal  mas  I  was  rated  coxswain  of 
the  gig.  In  that  capacity  I  had  a  much  better  oppor- 
tunity of  seeing  something  of  the  places  we  visited,  for 
our  captain  was  a  jovial  bachelor,  and  fond  of  going 
ashore  in  every  port  and  seeing  all  there  was  to  be  seen. 
,  My  predecessor  had  split  upon  the  usual  rock  of 
sailors, — rum, — having  been  detected  in  the  act  of 
smuggling  off  that  fluid  in  the  stern-sheets  of  the  gig. 
In  fact,  it  was  stowed  under  the  very  person  of  our 
august  commander  as  he  sat  there.  The  "  gig,"  or  cap- 
tain's boat,  is  not  usually  examined  for  smuggled  liquor, 
as  the  other  boats  are,  but  suspicion  being  aroused,  the 
rum  was  found  there.  The  coxswain,  although  a  great 
favorite,  was  summarily  "  broken,"  the  nautical  term  for 
being  reduced  to  the  ranks.  This  rating  gave  me  much 
more  leisure-time  and  an  opportunity  to  read  and  study, 
for  the  captain  gave  me  permission  to  sit  in  the  forward 
cabin  when  no  one  was  there,  as  soon  as  he  found  out 
I  was  disposed  to  improve  myself. 

I  went  on  shore  with  the  gig  only  once  at  Cape 
Palmas  after  I  was  rated.  The  captain  told  me  to 
leave  a  boat-keeper,  and  that  the  rest  of  us  could  wander 
about  for  a  couple  of  hours,  while  he  went  to  see  some 
of  the  American  missionaries.  It  was  Sunday,  and  the 
94 


A    CRUISE  SOUTH  OF  THE  LINE.  95 

American  negro  colonists  were  sitting  in  their  porches 
or  walking  about  in  their  best  clothes,  and  everything 
in  the  long,  straggling  street  looked  as  peaceful  and 
quiet  as  in  any  country  town  at  home. 

Passing  farther  inland,  we  came  to  the  Grebo  vil- 
lage, where  we  were  in  high  favor,  on  account  of  the 
result  of  the  palaver  of  a  day  or  two  before.  Their  re- 
joicings were  not  yet  over,  and  as  we  passed  along  some 
of  them  ran  to  us,  and,  holding  the  muzzles  of  their 
Hint-lock  guns  close  to  our  ears,  fired  them  off.  It  was 
intended  as  a  great  compliment,  but  was  very  far  from 
pleasant.  These  "  trade"  guns  are  generally  English 
made,  and  are  called,  in  Birmingham,  "  park  palings." 
They  only  cost  a  few  shillings,  and  constantly  burst 
even  with  the  bad  powder  sold  to  the  natives,  and 
it  is  quite  common  to  see  negroes  with  their  hands 
maimed  from  this  cause.  As  the  polite  gentlemen  in 
question  were  far  from  sober,  and  their  guns  almost 
equally  dangerous  at  the  breech  and  the  muzzle,  we 
got  on  as  fast  as  possible. 

Farther  on  we  came  upon  another  firing-party ;  but 
this  time  they  took  no  notice  of  us,  but  sat  about  a 
large  hut,  loading  and  firing  their  guns  in  the  inter- 
vals of  passing  round  and  drinking  from  a  big  jug.  A 
passing  settler  informed  us  that  in  the  hut  were  the 
remains  of  a  rich  and  influential  man,  who  had  died 
some  weeks  before,  and  whose  "custom,"  or  funeral 
service,  was  being  kept  up  yet. 

We  went  towards  the  house,  and  were  invited  to 
look  in.  In  the  centre,  on  some  stools,  was  the  corpse, 
swathed  in  successive  wrappings  of  common  cotton 
cloth,  until  it  was  much  larger  than  a  barrel.  It  was 


96  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

being  smoked,  gradually,  by  a  smouldering  fire  kindled 
under  it. 

The  wives  of  the  deceased  sat  around  the  hut,  their 
heads  and  bodies  covered  with  ashes  and  filth,  and 
their  eyes  very  bleary  from  the  combined  effects  of 
smoke,  grief,  and  rum.  I  thought  they  seemed  rather 
glad  at  our  coming  in  as  a  diversion,  for  they  would 
stop  howling  for  a  time,  stare  at  us,  and  then  go  on 
again,  apparently  refreshed. 

There  was  a  very  unpleasant  smell  in  the  place,  as 
may  be  supposed ;  but  we  stayed  long  enough  to  see 
that  the  wall  was  lined  with  wash-basins,  all  of  the 
same  pattern,  and  at  least  three  dozen  in  number,  and 
about  a  dozen  each  of  cheap  framed  engravings  of 
General  George  Washington  and  of  Father  Mathew. 
These  decorations  had  evidently  been  obtained  by  the 
deceased,  "  a  bargain  by  taking  the  lot,"  in  some  palm- 
oil  transaction  with  a  trading  brig. 

This  African  "  wake"  had  been  going  on  for  some 
weeks,  as  I  have  said,  and  we  were  told  that  the  dead 
man  would  not  be  buried  for  some  time  to  come, — in 
fact,  not  until  he  had  been  wrapped  in  several  more 
pieces  of  calico,  and  a  good  deal  more  smoked,  as  well 
as  having  at  least  a  barrel  more  of  "  trade  rum"  con- 
sumed, and  several  more  barrels  of  powder  burned  in 
his  honor. 

Walking  farther  on,  we  passed  a  crowd  of  native 
women,  coming  up  in  single  file  from  a  spring,  with 
tall  jars  of  water  on  their  heads,  and  no  clothing  ex- 
cept a  slight  grass  fringe  about  the  loins.  They  are 
not  a  black  tribe,  but  rather  of  a  smoky-yellow  color, 
and  some  of  them  were  models  of  size  and  shape,  walk- 


A    CRUISE  SOUTH  OF  THE  LINE.  97 

ing  with  a  firmness  and  grace  which  is  seen  in  Egypt 
and  Italy,  and  wherever  else  women  are  accustomed  to 
balance  heavy  water-jars  on  their  heads.  Other  women 
were  wading  in  the  river  below,  feeling  with  their  feet 
for  shell-fish,  which  they  then  ducked  under  to  seize. 
But  I  did  not  see  a  man  at  work  in  the  whole  place. 

A  mile  or  so  back  in  the  country  we  came  upon  a 
large  frame  barrack,  where  emigrants  from  the  States 
are  put  upon  their  arrival,  to  give  them  time  to  look 
about  them,  and  to  have  the  "  fever,"  which  all,  black 
or  white,  are  sure  to  have  on  first  coming  into  the 
colony. 

It  was  now  time  for  us  to  hurry  back  to  the  boat, 
which  we  did,  passing  the  people  going  to  afternoon 
church  and  the  Grebos  at  their  "  custom,"  and  so  down 
to  the  beach,  where  the  captain  soon  came,  and  we  pulled 
off  to  the  ship. 

The  next  day  we  sailed  for  "  the  Bights,"  having 
sent  word  to  Jem  Jack  that  we  would  be  back  again 
by  and  by  to  see  how  he  was  behaving  himself. 

In  the  Bights  of  Benin  and  Biafra  there  is  almost 
always  a  fearful  surf,  rendering  it  at  times  impossible 
to  land ;  and,  as  we  had  no  cause  for  delay,  we  merely 
anchored  for  a  few  hours  in  the  open  roadsteads  of 
Cape  Coast  Castle  and  Accra ;  rolling  tremendously  at 
our  anchors  in  the  heavy  swell,  in  company  with  some 
English,  French,  and  American  vessels,  waiting  for 
palm  oil.  An  English  man-of-war,  with  whom  we 
communicated,  informed  us  that  there  was  no  slave- 
trading  in  the  Bights,  but  that  it  was  lively  south  of 
the  Line.  At  Accra  we  bought  from  the  canoes  which 
came  off  some  remarkably  fine  gray  parrots, — those 
E  9 


98  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

with  red  eyes  being  especially  intelligent.  Some  of  the 
officers  also  got  whydah  birds ;  graceful  enough  when 
they  have  their  two  long  tail  feathers,  but  ugly  enough 
when  they  shed  them, — and  they  have  no  song. 

At  Whydah,  farther  down  the  Bight,  our  captain 
received  a  message  from  the  commercial  agent,  which 
rendered  it  necessary  for  some  one  to  go  on  shore.  He 
finally  resolved  to  go  himself,  taking  his  aid,  a  mid- 
shipman, and  myself,  as  a  sort  of  staff.  We  left  the 
ship  in  the  gig,  soon  going  in  on  the  long  rollers  to 
the  edge  of  the  surf,  which  was  breaking  on  the  sand- 
beach  with  a  sound  like  thunder.  Days  often  pass  here 
in  which  no  communication  is  possible,  but  on  this 
occasion  some  double  canoes  came  off  alongside  the 
gig,  and  we  were  each  transferred  to  one,  kneeling  on 
a  small  raised  platform  and  holding  on  to  a  cross-bar. 
Two  naked  black  fellows,  in  each  canoe,  steered  us  in 
with  paddles,  shouting  in  about  all  the  English  they 
knew,  "  No  fear,  mass !  hold  on  like  debbil !"  When 
I  saw  the  surf  from  my  perch  I  did  hold  on,  and 
wished  I  had  not  come.  Watching  for  the  very  high 
roller  which  comes  every  ninth  or  twelfth  time,  they 
paddled  in  on  top  of  it,  working  like  mad.  The  wave 
dashed  the  surf-canoe  on  the  beach  like  a  walnut  shell, 
but  the  hold  of  the  bar  enabled  one  to  withstand  the 
shock,  and  in  a  moment  a  dozen  black  fellows  caught 
us,  canoe  and  all,  and  ran  us  up  the  beach  with  a  shout. 

We  found  the  agent  waiting  for  us,  with  hammocks 
slung  on  poles  and  carried  by  two  men ;  with  a  calico 
awning  to  keep  the  sun  off.  I  was  offered  one,  but  did 
not  like  to  get  in  it,  until  the  captain  good-naturedly 
called,  "  All  right,  Carlyon  ;  get  in."  So  away  we  all 


A    CRUISE  SOUTH  OF  THE  LINE.  99 

trotted  to  the  agent's  house,  which  was  one  of  a  group 
of  two-story  buildings,  with  the  ground-floor  reserved 
for  a  store-house  for  palm  oil  and  trade  goods;  the 
tipper  part  being  used  as  a  residence.  The  agent  sent 
me  to  an  office  where  a  Portuguese  clerk  was  at  work. 
He  gave  me  some  sangaree  and  a  cigar,  and  while  I 
was  amusing  myself  with  these,  the  captain  sent  me 
word  that  I  might  look  round  for  an  hour.  The  clerk, 
who  did  not  seem  to  have  much  to  do  except  to  blow 
pellets  at  the  lizards  on  the  wall,  volunteered  to  go 
with  me. 

Except  the  traders'  houses  the  town  was  composed 
of  wattled  huts,  and  seemed  swarming  with  people, — 
very  black,  but  cleanly  dressed  in  "longs"  of  calico, 
wrapped  round  them.  The  houses  were  generally 
swept  clean,  and,  altogether,  the  place  impressed  me 
as  being  much  better  than  I  expected. 

The  Portuguese,  who  spoke  English  quite  well,  led 
me  through  the  town  to  the  eastern  end,  where  he 
pointed  out  a  square  one-story  frame  house,  standing 
by  itself,  into  the  door  of  which,  to  my  astonishment, 
I  saw  crawling  very  leisurely  a  great  snake,  at  least 
seven  or  eight  feet  long,  and  as  thick  as  my  leg.  The 
clerk  then  explained  that  snakes  were  the  "grand 
fetiche"  of  Whydah ;  and  that  the  house  was  a  sort 
of  temple,  and  their  home.  He  also  told  me  that  any 
person  who  killed  or  even  injured  one  of  these  snakes 
would  be  very  apt  to  be  killed  himself  by  the  natives, 
so  sacred  were  they  held  to  be.  "The  snakes  were 
harmless,"  he  said  ;  "  or,  at  least,  only  dangerous  to  the 
little  negroes,  fowls,  and  kids."  I  went  up  to  the  open 
door  of  the  house  and  looked  in.  There  must  have 


100  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

been  a  dozen  snakes  there ;  some  of  them  coiled  and 
some  stretched  out  on  shelves.  Some  were  hanging  in 
flabby  flakes  from  the  cross-beams  of  the  hut;  and  the 
one  which  had  last  come  in  was  drinking  from  a  flat 
pan  of  goat's  milk,  which  stood  on  the  earthen  floor. 
In  front  of  the  house  were  several  poles  stuck  in  the 
sand,  on  which  were  hung,  as  charms  or  offerings, 
rags  of  all  descriptions,  pieces  of  metal,  old  bottles, 
and  bones. 

I  had  seen  quite  enough,  and  the  sun  was  very  hot, 
so  I  went  back  to  the  agent's,  who  sent  me  my  dinner, 
and  in  a  short  time  we  were  ready  to  return  to  the 
ship. 

The  more  1  looked  at  the  surf  the  less  I  liked  it, 
but  it  was  pronounced  safe  by  those  who  ought  to 
know.  In  going  off,  we  got  into  a  very  large  canoe, 
which  had  about  a  dozen  paddles,  and  two  fellows 
steering.  Watching  their  chance,  a  whole  mob  of 
negroes  ran  us  out,  till  they  were  up  to  their  arm-pits  ; 
and  our  paddlers  struck  out  manfully,  with  a  tremen- 
dous amount  of  yelling.  The  first  wave  sent  about  a 
hogshead  of  water  into  the  canoe,  wetting  us  thoroughly, 
but  the  buoyant  craft  rose  to  the  next  one  handsomely, 
and  we  were  soon  out  alongside  our  own  boat,  which 
had  come  to  meet  us ;  and  I  was  not  sorry  to  be  safe 
on  board  again.  The  canoe-men  accompanied  us  along- 
side, to  receive  the  captain's  "  dash"  of  rum  and  hard 
bread,  two  most  highly-valued  articles.  "  Dash,"  in 
coast  language,  is  the  same  as  "  cumshaw"  in  China, 
or  "  backsheesh"  in  the  Levant, — meaning  a  gift,  or 
present. 

We  sailed  at  once  for  Prince's  Island,  deep  in  the 


A    CRUISE  SOUTH  OF  THE  LINE.  1Q1 

Bight  of  Benin,  and  just  north  of  the  Line.  This  is 
a  Portuguese  island,  and  a  favorite  resort,  in  former 
days,  for  slavers,  and  even  worse  gentry.  A  more 
perfect  resort  for  a  piratical  gang  than  East  Bay  could 
not  be  found  the  world  round ;  provided  no  inquisitive 
men-of-war  were  about.  It  is  a  perfectly  secure  an- 
chorage, with  small  sandy  bays  for  careening  ships. 

Cacao-,  cocoanut-,  avogado-,  and  orange-trees  grew 
down  to  the  very  water's  edge  ;  besides  lots  of  hard-wood 
trees  fit  for  carpenters'  use.  Water,  cool  and  clear, 
came  from  the  shaded  heights,  and  fell  in  picturesque 
little  cataracts  into  sandy  pools,  which  then  emptied 
into  the  bay.  Add  to  this  little  or  no  interference  from 
the  few  officials,  and  a  population  of  negro  slaves  and 
lazy  free  half-breeds  little  inclined  to  look  too  closely 
at  the  source  of  the  dollars  which  were  squandered  by 
their  visitors,  and  it  is  no  wonder  that  Prince's  Island 
has  been  a  paradise  for  Picaroons. 

Even  now,  in  wandering  along  the  shores  of  the 
sandy  bights  opening  on  East  Bay,  one  comes  upon 
remains  of  forges,  ruins  of  slave  barracoons,  and,  some- 
times, a  long  thirty-two-pounder,  half  buried  in  the 
sand,  with  Spanish  pet  names,  and  dates  of  a  century 
ago,  cast  in  them. 

The  island  has  a  crown  of  the  most  fantastic  peaks, 
which  tower  above  a  dense  forest  of  glorious  tropical 
trees,  and  there  are  valleys  where  almost  anything  will 
grow. 

The  great  personage  of  the  island  was  a  Madame 
Fereira,  a  Portuguese  widow,  who  had  passed  almost 
all  her  life  on  the  island.  She  had  a  very  large  house 
at  East  Bay  and  another  at  West  Bay,  and  was  reputed 

9* 


102  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

to  be  the  owner  of  most  of  the  slaves  and  cultivated 
lands  in  the  island. 

The  old  lady  was  stout  and  good-natured,  but  sharp 
withal ;  and  kept  her  women  and  girls  at  work  all  day, 
in  a  large  hall,  sewing,  weaving,  and  lace-making,  under 
her  own  eye.  Many  negroes  also,  male  and  female,  came 
from  the  country,  carrying  on  their  heads  baskets  of 
yams,  eggs,  fowls  tied  by  the  legs,  and  other  provisions. 
Kneeling  down  in  front  of  madame  and  kissing  her 
hand,  the  contents  of  their  baskets  were  inspected  by  her, 
and  they  were  praised  for  their  industry  or  rated  for 
their  laziness,  as  the  case  required.  Generally,  as  the 
interview  terminated,  a  little  girl  brought  a  black  bottle 
of  "  cacha9a,"  or  home-made  rum,  and  pouring  a  glass- 
ful into  a  wine-glass,  without  a  stem,  which  crowned 
the  bottle  like  an  extinguisher,  handed  it  to  the  negro, 
who  threw  the  contents  down  his  throat  and  went  off 
grinning. 

In  this  patriarchal  manner  did  the  old  lady  pass  the 
day.  Her  house  was  the  rendezvous  of  our  officers, 
who  swung  in  grass  hammocks  in  the  shady  verandah, 
and  smoked  cigars  or  drank  cocoanut  milk  all  day 
long.  Then  they  had  dinner,  with  curiously-worked 
table-cloths  and  napkins,  and  old  china  and  glass  and 
rare  silver  plate. 

After  that  they  went  on  board  ship  to  sleep,  for  the 
orders  were  very  strict  against  passing  the  night  on 
shore,  either  on  the  coast  or  on  any  of  the  islands. 

The  old  lady  made  no  direct  charge  for  her  hospi- 
tality;  but  it  was  well  understood  that  there  were  many 
things  on  board  ship  which  she  would  find  very  useful. 
In  such  a  climate  they  cannot  salt  beef,  and  our  hard 


A    CRUISE  SOUTH  OF  THE  LINE.  1Q3 

salt  "junk"  is  looked  upon  as  a  treat,  and  a  welcome 
change  from  farina,  rice,  yams,  kid,  and  stringy  fowls. 
Hard  bread  also  is  much  appreciated  ;  and  these  things 
the  officers  could  draw,  having  the  value  charged  to 
their  accounts,  and  send  them  on  shore  to  madame's 
larder.  Beside  this,  nails,  old  canvas,  empty  bottles, 
hand-saws,  hatchets,  illustrated  newspapers,  hair-oil, 
fine-tooth  combs,  Worcestershire  sauce,  or  whitewash- 
brushes, — all  were  fish  which  came  to  her  net,  and  were 
graciously  received  and  locked  up  in  a  huge  store-room 
with  a  key  about  a  foot  long,  and  weighing,  I  should 
think,  several  pounds,  which  was  then  carefully  restored 
to  some  secret  hiding-place  about  the  old  lady's  volu- 
minous skirts. 

We  got  wood  and  water  at  Prince's  Island  in  an 
easy,  lazy  kind  of  way,  for  the  climate  and  surround- 
ings seemed  to  aifect  every  one.  Even  our  boatswain, 
usually  as  fierce  and  brisk  as  a  terrier  dog,  was  heard 
to  say  that  "  this  here  bay  made  him  feel  kinder  like 
the  spring  fever." 

The  only  indefatigable  person  seemed  to  be  our 
young  doctor,  who  was  always  collecting  lizards, 
snakes,  and  bugs.  Snakes,  by  the  by,  are  very  plen- 
tiful here,  and  many  are  very  poisonous,  especially  one 
beautiful  green  bush  snake. 

When  all  was  ready  for  sea,  the  madarne  was  brought 
off  in  the  gig  to  lunch  in  the  cabin  in  state.  She  had 
no  less  than  three  personal  attendants :  one  to  carry  an 
umbrella  over  her,  one  to  fan  her,  and  one  to  carry  a 
bag  containing  cordials  and  sugar-plums. 

She  went  on  shore  again  in  very  gracious  mood,  de- 
claring that  "  dis  sip  much  more  betterer  sip  dan  dat 


104  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

Wixum !"  by  which  she  was  understood  to  mean  the 
brig  Vixen,  the  last  of  our  men-of-war  which  had 
been  there. 

Towing  slowly  out  of  the  sleepy  East  Bay  with 
our  boats,  we  at  last  got  a  light  breeze,  and  stood 
away  to  the  southward,  past  San  Thom6,  and  across 
the  Line.  South  of  the  Line  the  weather  is  per- 
ceptibly cooler  and  the  winds  more  regular,  while  the 
furious  night-squalls  coming  off  the  land  are  not  so 
often  experienced. 

We  touched  at  Loango  and  Kabenda  Bays,  staying 
a  few  hours  at  each  to  "  show  the  flag"  and  inquire 
"  the  news"  (in  other  words,  how  slaving  was  going 
on)  from  the  traders  on  shore.  From  their  account  no 
slaving  had  been  done  there  for  years,  and  a  more  vir- 
tuous and  innocent  lot  of  traders  in  gum,  ivory,  and 
skins  was  not  to  be  found.  There  were  large  barra- 
coons,  or  slave-houses,  here  notwithstanding,  and  in 
very  good  repair. 

We  continued  our  cruise  across  the  mouth  of  the 
Congo,  whose  muddy  current,  laden  with  trees  and 
floating  islands  of  reeds,  colored  the  blue  sea-water  for 
miles;  and,  working  slowly  to  the  southward,  came  to 
St.  Paul  de  Loanda,  the  capital  of  the  Portuguese  West 
African  possessions. 

This  is  one  of  the  few  land-locked  harbors  on  this 
coast,  a  long,  sandy  island  shutting  it  off  from  the 
Atlantic,  with  low  clay  cliffs  overhanging  it  on  the 
land  side.  In  this  harbor  the  drum-fish  exceeded  in 
numbers  anything  I  have  ever  known  elsewhere.  They 
stick  close  to  the  vessel's  copper,  and  at  night  when 
things  are  quiet  they  make  a  noise  under  the  bottom 


A    CRUISE  SOUTH  OF  THE  LINE.  1Q5 

almost  as  loud  as  a  steamer  blowing  off  low  steam. 
The  very  hull  of  the  vessel  seems  to  thrill  at  times. 

On  the  cliffs  at  the  bottom  of  the  harbor  the  city  is 
built.  The  principal  houses  are  of  brick  or  stone, 
stuccoed,  and  washed  with  yellow  and  blue  wash,  and 
roofed  with  various  colored  tiles.  Some  of  the  gov- 
ernment buildings  are  very  large,  and  there  are  three 
forts  and  the  ruins  of  several  large  convents.  Sur- 
rounding the  town  are  numbers  of  huts  inhabited  by 
negroes,  and  a  large  market  is  held  in  the  principal 
square,  in  which  is  exposed  a  curious  mixture  of  civil- 
ized and  barbarous  merchandise.  Outside  the  town  is 
a  very  large  and  deep  well,  from  which  the  water  is 
hauled  up  by  donkeys;  and  this  well  seemed,  at  all 
hours  of  the  day,  to  be  the  great  gossiping-place  for 
the  negro  women  and  girls,  with  their  water-jars.  Near 
the  well  stood  a  fine  specimen  of  the  baobab,  or  monkey- 
fruit.  There  was  not  a  leaf  upon  it  at  the  time  I  saw 
it,  but  a  quantity  of  the  fruit,  as  large  as  ostrich-eggs, 
was  hanging  to  the  bare,  finger-like  branches.  The 
trunk  was  enormous,  being  at  least  twelve  feet  in 
diameter,  but  I  was  told  this  was  by  no  means  a  large 
one. 

The  baobab  is  almost  as  useful  to  the  African  as  the 
cocoanut  is  to  the  Polynesian,  or  the  bamboo  to  the 
Malay,  but  the  world  at  large  hears  less  of  it.  The 
dried  leaves  powdered  flavor  nearly  all  their  dishes; 
the  root  is  purgative,  while  a  warm  tea  of  the  inner 
gummy  bark  is  used  for  colds  and  coughs.  The  natives 
are  very  subject  to  ugly  and  annoying  cutaneous  erup- 
tions, which  are  often  cured  by  poultices  of  the  bark. 
They  make  a  cooling  acid  beverage  from  the  pulp  of 


106  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

the  fruit,  and,  when  the  latter  is  ripe,  they  eat  the 
seeds,  which  are  something  like  chestnuts. 

The  dried  calyx  of  the  flower  is  sometimes  powdered 
and  smoked  instead  of  tobacco,  while  the  dried  capsule 
divided  in  the  middle  with  its  woody  stalk  makes  a 
large  and  substantial  ladle. 

If  a  hole  is  chopped  in  the  side  of  a  baobab-tree 
(which  is  easy  to  do,  the  wood  being  soft  and  pithy), 
the  bark  inclines  to  grow  in  and  cover  the  space,  so 
that,  what  would  be  the  death  of  most  trees,  only  serves, 
in  the  course  of  time,  to  make  a  secure  shelter  for  man 
or  beast,  lined  with  the  same  bark  as  the  exterior  of 
the  tree.  Water  is  also  stored  in  them  during  the 
rainy  season. 

Loanda  is  a  great  place  for  wild  animals,  which  are 
bought  from  the  natives  by  the  traders  and  sent  to 
menageries.  One  of  the  most  powerful  and  savage 
brutes  I  ever  saw  was  a  huge  dog-faced  baboon,  which 
was  chained  in  the  consul's  yard.  It  required  one  to 
be  careful  in  passing,  for,  if  the  beast  could  get  posses- 
sion of  any  stick  or  other  missile,  it  would  hurl  it  with 
a  clumsy  aim  but  tremendous  force.  In  another  yard 
I  saw  a  large  secretary-bird,  stalking  about  among  the 
muscovy  ducks  and  fowls  in  an  abstracted  sort  of  way, 
but  keeping  a  sharp  lookout,  withal,  and  snapping  up 
unconsidered  trifles  with  its  long  sharp  bill  with  won- 
derful quickness  and  precision.  They  are  kept  about 
the  basements  and  court-yards  of  houses  as  scavengers, 
and  to  destroy  mice  and  snakes,  which  latter  are  their 
principal  food  when  not  in  captivity.  The  owner  of 
the  one  I  speak  of  was  showing  its  capacities  to  our 
captain,  and  the  bird  first  gulped  down  five  or  six 


A    CRUISE  SOUTH  OF  THE  LINE.  1Q7 

chickens'  heads,  which  had  just  been  cut  off.  A  large 
snake,  said  to  be  poisonous,  was  then  brought  in  a 
basket  by  a  negro  and  turned  out  in  the  court.  The 
secretary  at  once  made  for  him  with  his  wings  extended 
and  the  quills  at  the  back  of  his  head  (from  which  he 
is  familiarly  named)  all  erected.  The  snake  glided 
rapidly  round  the  wall,  evidently  seeking  some  hole  or 
hiding-place,  but  finding  none,  he  coiled  himself  for  a 
spring,  but  before  he  could  strike  the  bird  seized  him  by 
the  neck,  lashed  him  violently  on  the  pavement  two  or 
three  times,  and  then,  putting  one  horny  foot  on  his 
neck,  commenced  to  tear  him  in  pieces  and  devour 
him.  Not  more  than  two  minutes  elapsed  between  the 
turning  out  of  the  snake  and  his  being  safely  stowed 
away  in  the  secretary's  crop,  in  company  with  the 
chickens'  heads. 


CHAPTER   XL 

CHASING   SLAVERS   AT  THE   CONGO. 

IN  the  harbor  of  Loanda  was  lying  an  American 
brig  called  the  Charlotte,  of  New  York,  a  regular 
clipper.  Our  consul  said  she  had  no  doubt  come  out 
for  a  slave  cargo,  although  she  professed  to  be  a  regu- 
lar trader.  We  boarded  and  examined  her,  and  found 
her  with  an  empty  hold,  and  the  owners,  mentioned  in 
her  papers,  were  not  known  in  the  coast  trade. 

One  evening  she  sailed,  having  cleared  for  the  Congo 
River.  We  went  out  after  her  next  day,  as  soon  as  we 
could  find  out  her  destination ;  but  on  reaching  Point 
Padron,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Congo,  she  was  not  to  be 
seen.  An  English  gun-brig  lying  there  told  us  that 
she  had  passed  up  the  river  the  evening  before  with 
the  sea-breeze,  and  had  no  doubt  gone  to  a  Portuguese 
trading-post  and  saw-mill,  about  forty  miles  up,  to  lay 
her  slave-deck  and  get  ready  for  her  cargo. 

We  at  once  prepared  the  gig  and  first  cutter  to  go 
up  and  overhaul  her. 

Our  boats  had  been  carefully  fitted  for  this  kind  of 
service,  and  the  cutter  had  a  tarpaulin  tent  to  fasten 
down  over  the  gunwale,  and  thus  afford  dry  sleeping 
quarters.  A  small  box  partly  filled  with  sand  held  a 
portable  stove  of  sheet-iron,  for  making  soup  and 
coffee,  and  ten  days'  rations  were  taken,  with  quinine- 
whiskey,  which  was  served  out  three  times  a  day.  A 
108 


CHASING  SLAVERS  AT  THE   CONGO.         109 

painted  canvas  flap,  just  below  the  rowlocks,  inside, 
protected  our  arms,  which  was  triced  up  beneath  it, 
from  wet. 

While  these  preparations  were  going  on  a  canoe  came 
out  of  a  creek  a  mile  or  so  above  us,  and  brought 
alongside  a  black  fellow,  dressed  in  a  blue  cloth  jacket 
and  trousers,  a  white  shirt,  and  a  cap  with  a  gold  band. 
Stepping  on  deck  with  a  jaunty  air,  he  touched  his  cap 
and  inquired,  in  pretty  fair  English,  for  "  dem  farst 
lieutenant."  Having  that  officer  pointed  out,  he  ap- 
proached him  with  "  Marnin',  sar !  My  Moses  Brown, 
sar !  Long  time  lib  Anglis  man-o'-war,  sar !  My 
pilot  for  riber,  sar !  Got  plenty  good  book  from  An- 
glis man-o'-war,  sar  1"  And  so  he  had,  a  whole  pocket- 
ful of  recommendations.  "  'Spose  you  want  find  'urn, 
dat  Melican  brig,  my  lib  for  find  'um,  sure.  'Spose  I 
go  your  boat !" 

As  slavers,  when  hard  pressed  up  the  rivers,  fre- 
quently haul  into  one  of  the  innumerable  muddy  creeks, 
and  then,  cutting  bushes,  lash  them  to  their  mast-heads, 
and  so  look  like  part  of  the  jungle,  it  was  certainly 
very  desirable  to  have  a  native  guide  who  knew  their 
haunts  and  ways.  Just  as  a  bargain  was  being  struck 
with  Moses  to  act  as  pilot  to  our  boats,  the  first  lieu- 
tenant of  the  English  gun-brig  came  on  board  to  pay 
a  visit. 

When  he  spied  Moses  the  latter  seemed  rather  dis- 
comfited. The  English  officer  at  once  took  our  first 
lieutenant  aside,  and  told  him  that  Moses  was  well 
known  to  them,  and  was  the  most  egregious  scamp  on 
the  coast, — acting  as  a  spy  for  the  men-of-war  and  the 
slavers,  and  cheating  both.  He  added  that  he  was  not 

10 


HO  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

allowed  on  board  their  ships  any  more;  and  had  no 
doubt  been  sent  down  by  the  Charlotte,  or  her  agents, 
to  find  out  what  we  were  going  to  do.  He  would  then 
probably  slip  off,  taking  advantage  of  by-creeks  and 
passages,  and  warn  the  slavers  before  our  boats  could 
possibly  arrive;  or,  if  we  took  him  with  us,  he  would 
take  care  that  we  should  never  find  the  brig. 

Hearing  this  account  of  him,  it  was  intimated  to 
Moses  that  he  had  better  get  out  of  the  ship, — which 
he  did,  after  vainly  trying  for  a  "  dash"  of  some  kind. 

The  English  officer  said  that  Moses  was  a  most  per- 
sistent, impudent,  and  ingenious  beggar,  and  had  once 
asked  him  very  confidentially  for  "  two  shillin'."  Be- 
ing asked  what  he  would  do  with  them,  he  said  he 
wanted  them  for  ear-rings.  "  Den  I  go  my  country, 
and  my  country mens  dey  say, '  Who  dash  you  dem  boo- 
tiful  yar-ring?'  And  I  say,  'Dem  farst  lieutenant 
dem  brig  Linnet !'  Den  my  countrymens  dey  say, 
'  Oh !  a  d — n  fine  man,  dem  farst  lieutenant  dem 
brig  Linnet !'  'J  Despite  this  strong  appeal  to  his 
vanity  in  regard  to  his  reputation  among  the  Congo 
niggers,  he  said  he  was  obliged  to  refuse  Moses  the 
"dash." 

As  this  enterprising  gentleman  had  seen  our  prepa- 
rations, there  was  nothing  to  be  done  but  to  set  off  at 
once  with  the  sea-breeze,  and  trust  to  reaching  the  sus- 
pected vessel  before  him. 

The  first  lieutenant  went  in  the  gig  in  charge  of  the 
expedition,  and  we  made  sail  and  got  up  the  river 
about  ten  miles  before  the  sun  set  and  the  breeze  died 
away.  We  then  took  to  our  oars,  and  pulled  till 
about  ten  o'clock,  when  we  let  go  the  boat's  anchors, 


CHASING  SLAVERS  AT  THE   CONGO.          \\\ 

spread  our  tent,  set  our  watch,  and  lay  down  to  sleep. 
The  strong  current  made  a  loud  lapping  against  the 
boat's  sides,  and,  with  the  noises  of  all  sorts  of  strange 
insects  and  wild  animals  on  shore,  prevented  any  one 
from  sleeping  much.  The  next  morning  we  started 
early,  after  we  had  had  coffee,  quinine-whiskey,  and 
something  to  eat.  There  was  a  nasty  fog  hanging  over 
the  dreary  mangrove  swamps,  and  a  smell  from  them 
which  was  very  suggestive  of  fever.  But  we  settled 
down  for  a  steady  pull  up-river,  hugging  the  southern 
shore  to  avoid  the  current,  in  spite  of  visions  of  ma- 
laria. Stopping  for  a  little  while  at  noon,  we  again 
took  to  our  oars,  and  just  before  sunset  came  suddenly 
round  a  bend  in  the  river,  and  saw  our  friend,  the 
Charlotte,  lying  close  in  by  some  thatched  houses, 
on  the  north  bank.  As  we  pulled  alongside  the  captain 
of  the  brig  came  to  the  gangway,  and  invited  our 
officers  on  board, — saying,  with  a  grin,  that  he  feared 
we  had  had  a  tiresome  pull  for  nothing. 

Searching  the  vessel  again,  it  became  evident  that 
the  sharp  skipper  was  not  to  be  caught  so  easily,  for 
no  slave-deck,  coppers,  or  other  evidence  was  to  be 
found.  Some  of  the  party,  who  went  on  shore,  saw 
all  these  things  in  the  sheds,  but  they  were  Portu- 
guese property,  and,  of  course,  could  not  be  touched, 
or  accepted  as  evidence  against  an  American  trader. 

It  was  plain  that  the  only  thing  to  do  was  to  return 
to  the  ship,  and  then  keep  under  way  off  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  hoping  to  cut  the  Charlotte  off  whenever 
she  tried  to  go  to  sea. 

We  accordingly  shoved  off,  and  drifting  down  with 
the  current,  wre  got  supper.  About  nine  o'clock  one 


112  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

of  the  fierce  land  squalls,  which  sometimes  blow  in  this 
wide  river,  began  to  gather ;  and,  setting  a  little  rag 
of  sail  forward,  the  boats  got  ready  to  receive  it.  At 
last  it  struck  us,  and  we  had  run  before  it  for  several 
miles,  when  one  of  the  men  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  vessel 
running  before  it  also,  and  going  two  knots  to  our  one. 

The  river  was  here  at  least  two  miles  wide,  and  the 
vessel  was  on  the  other  shore ;  but  we  could  make  out, 
by  the  flashes  of  lightning,  that  she  was  a  large  brig. 
It  was  too  bad  !  The  Charlotte  had  no  doubt  hurried 
on  board  the  lumber  for  her  slave-deck,  and  her  boilers, 
farina,  etc.,  and  had  taken  advantage  of  the  storm  to 
run  by  us  in  the  river. 

At  the  wide  mouth  of  the  Congo  is  a  dangerous 
shoal,  called  Monomesa  Bank,  forming  two  channels. 
The  brig  was  evidently  making  for  the  northern  one, 
intending  to  run  into  Kabencla  or  Loango  Bay,  ship 
his  negroes,  and  be  off,  while  we  were  waiting  and 
watching  at  the  mouth  of  the  river.  Of  course,  we 
could  only  endeavor  to  get  back  to  the  ship  as  soon 
as  possible,  and  this  we  did  about  daylight,  and  then 
there  was  nothing  to  be  seen  of  the  brig. 

Our  ship  at  once  got  under  way,  and  worked  to 
the  northward,  looking  into  Kabenda  Bay  that  after- 
noon. Here  we  saw  our  slippery  friend,  the  Charlotte, 
with  top-sails  set  and  braced  abox,  and  a  swarm  of  boats 
and  canoes  passing  between  her  and  the  shore. 

She  saw  us  in  an  instant,  and,  casting  off  the  boats 
and  slipping  her  chain,  made  sail  to  the  sea-breeze. 
We  stood  on  till  we  got  in  her  wake,  and  then  tacked 
ship, — being  about  a  mile  astern  of  her. 

The  brig  was  very  slow  in  making  sail,  evidently 


CHASING  SLAVERS  AT  THE  CONGO.         H3 

from  the  state  of  confusion  in  which  her  decks  were 
from  being  so  unceremoniously  disturbed  by  us;  and, 
as  the  breeze  freshened  outside,  we  evidently  gained  on 
her.  We  now  fired  a  gun  for  her  to  come  to ;  and,  as 
she  paid  no  attention  to  that,  we  commenced  firing  at 
her  from  a  long  thirty-two  on  the  forecastle, — one  shot 
from  which  raked  her  deck, — after  which  she  let  fly 
her  sheets  and  halyards  and  rounded  to. 

We  had  a  boat  on  board  very  soon,  and  the  crew  of 
the  brig  were  put  in  her  forecastle,  under  guard, — ex- 
cept one  or  two  who  had  been  wounded  by  splinters, — 
while  our  men  proceeded  to  make  sail  again,  standing 
back  into  Kabenda  Bay  in  company  with  the  M . 

Here  the  gig  took  our  captain  on  board  the  prize, 
and  of  course  I  went  with  him.  We  found  her  decks 
full  of  lumber,  bricks  for  building  a  furnace  for  cook- 
ing for  the  negroes,  barrels  of  rice  and  farina,  a  flour 
made  from  mandioc,  crates  of  yams  and  sweet  potatoes, 
and  a  cask  of  palm  oil,  which  is  used  both  for  cooking 
and  for  anointing  the  skins  of  the  slaves. 

Huddled  together  below  were  about  a  hundred  slaves, 
mostly  women  and  children.  We  had  interrupted  the 
slavers  in  the  very  act  of  getting  off  their  cargo  of 
"  ebony,"  and  they  had  not  had  time  to  assort  the  sexes 
and  ages ;  and,  as  usual,  had  put  off  bringing  the  men, 
who  were  most  apt  to  give  trouble,  until  the  last.  The 
poor  creatures  seemed  completely  dazed  by  the  turmoil 
and  firing,  and  squatted  quietly  upon  the  roughly-laid 
slave-deck  in  the  hold. 

The  captain  of  the  slaver,  a  red-whiskered,  smart- 
looking  New  Yorker,  was  sitting  aft  by  the  taffrail  with 
his  mate,  a  short  thick-set  Spaniard,  with  gold  ear-rings, 

10* 


114  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

and  a  blue-black  beard  showing  through  the  skin  of 
his  close-shaven  cheeks. 

As  our  captain  walked  aft  the  slaver  stood  up  civilly 
enough  and  said,  "Well,  captain,  you've  weathered  me 
this  time.  But  I  should  like  to  know  one  thing,  did 
Moses  Brown,  the  black  rascal,  split  on  me  ?"  When 
told  that  he  had  not,  he  said,  "  How  could  you  have 
known  that  I  ran  out  of  the  river  the  same  night?" 
The  captain  smiled  but  did  not  gratify  his  curiosity, 
and  he  and  his  crew  were  ordered  on  board  our  ship, 
where  they  were  placed  under  sentry's  charge.  A  prize 
crew  under  our  senior  passed  midshipman  was  detailed 
for  the  prize,  and  orders  were  given  her  to  proceed  to 
the  United  States,  taking  as  prisoners  the  captain  and 
mate  of  the  slaver,  and  one  of  her  crew.  These  were 
to  be  tried  by  our  courts,  as  well  as  to  be  instrumental 
in  having  the  vessel  condemned.  The  law  made  slav- 
ing a  death  offence,  but  no  one  was  ever  hung  for  it  at 
that  time.  In  fact,  I  believe  that  but  one  slaver  captain 
was  ever  hung  in  the  United  States,  and  that  was  sub- 
sequent to  this  time. 

The  Charlotte  was  to  touch  at  Monrovia  and  land  the 
slaves,  who  would  be  taken  charge  of  by  commissioners 
and  apprenticed  out  among  the  colored  settlers.  It  would 
have  been  sheer  cruelty  to  land  them  again  at  Kabenda, 
as  they  had  been  brought  from  the  interior  and  would 
have  been  enslaved  again  at  once.  It  was  said  that 
these  emancipated  slaves,  when  "  bound"  to  the  settlers, 
did  not  always  receive  the  best  treatment  from  their 
more  enlightened  brethren ;  but  bad  treatment  was  ex- 
ceptional, and  at  any  rate,  they  were  better  off  than  if 
turned  ashore  to  take  their  chances  at  Kabenda.  We 


CHASING  SLAVERS  AT  THE   CONGO.         H5 

separated  next  day,  the  ship  going  back  south  of  the 
Congo  to  Ambrizette,  and  the  Charlotte  to  the  north. 

This  prize  was  a  "good"  one,  the  brig  being  after- 
wards condemned,  in  Philadelphia,  and  sold  for  sixteen 
thousand  dollars,  while  the  "  head-money"  on  the  slaves, 
allowed  the  captors  by  law,  amounted  to  twenty-five 
hundred  dollars. 

Our  ship  went  back  to  Ambrizette  on  account  of  a 
message  received  from  an  American  trader  there  while 
the  ship  was  in  the  Congo,  saying  that  their  lives  were 
in  danger  from  the  natives. 

Ambriz  and  Ambrizette  are  two  trading-stations  be- 
tween the  Congo  and  St.  Paul  de  Loanda,  where  a  good 
deal  of  gum,  ivory,  malachite,  and  other  ores  of  copper, 
and  some  gold  is  collected  in  exchange  for  cotton  long- 
cloth,  guns,  powder,  trade-rum,  and  other  articles  sought 
after  by  the  negroes. 

Ambrizette  is  in  the  territory  claimed  by  the  Portu- 
guese, but  inhabited  by  a  very  saucy  and  independent 
tribe,  who  frequently  give  trouble.  English,  Portu- 
guese, and  American  houses,  established  in  St.  Paul, 
had  agents  here  to  trade.  They  live  in  large  thatched, 
native-built  houses  near  the  shore,  and  the  chief  native 
town  is  some  miles  back.  Their  goods  for  trade  are 
contained  in  these  houses,  where  they  live  among  them. 
From  their  isolated  position  and  small  number,  these 
traders  are  at  the  mercy  of  the  natives.  But  they  gen- 
erally manage  to  have  a  "Mafooka,"  or  chief  of  trade, 
placed  with  them,  who  has  influence  with  the  tribe; 
and  these  Mafookas  are  kept  half-drunk  all  the  time, 
and  in  a  good  humor  from  presents ;  and  they  keep  the 
natives  in  order. 


116  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

Many  of  the  agents  are  men  of  very  loose  lives,  who 
have  been  forced  to  this  out-of-the-way  part  of  the  world 
by  drink  or  other  bad  habits.  The  wonder  is  that  they 
do  not  more  frequently  burn  up  themselves  and  their 
goods  in  the  inflammable  houses,  mostly  built  of  reeds 
and  mats. 

The  powder-houses  are  constructed  of  the  same  ma- 
terials, and  are  only  removed  a  few  hundred  feet  from 
the  store  and  dwelling-huts.  They  frequently  contain 
hundreds  of  barrels  of  powder. 

When  a  party  of  natives  come  down  to  trade,  they 
are  admitted  into  the  yard  of  the  trader,  and  sit  down 
in  a  semicircle  having  their  articles  laid  on  the  ground 
before  them. 

Some  trade-rum  (half  water)  is  served  out  as  a  "dash," 
and  their  pipes  are  filled  with  the  strongest  American 
leaf-tobacco, — strong  enough  to  upset  any  head  without 
the  aid  of  the  rum. 

Having  been  thus  made  comfortable,  business  begins. 
The  trader  inspects  and  weighs  the  ivory,  or  whatever 
it  may  be,  and  then  makes  his  offer.  So  many  "  fadoms" 
or  "longs"  of  calico;  so  many  "neptunes,"  or  large 
brass  pans ;  so  many  barrels  of  powder ;  so  many  guns ; 
so  much  trade-rum,  etc.  It  takes  a  long  time  to  effect 
any  bargain.  Time  is  of  no  consequence  to  either  party. 
There  is  often  a  pretence  of  breaking  off  negotiations ; 
but  the  parties  invariably  come  to  terms  in  the  end. 
Ivory  is  in  great  demand,  and  no  trader  willingly 
allows  a  fine  tusk  to  be  carried  to  one  of  his  rivals  in 
trade  after  he  has  once  begun  to  bargain  for  it.  Nev- 
ertheless, the  profits  of  this  trade  are  very  great,  as 
the  price  of  the  ivory  is  paid  in  kind ;  and  a  trader's 


CHASING  SLAVERS  AT  THE   CONGO.        H7 

hand  is  very  heavy  when  weighed  against  a  tusk  of 
ivory. 

The  same  process  is  gone  through  with  in  buying 
fowls,  eggs,  and  other  articles  of  food.  The  eggs  are 
popped  into  a  bucket  of  water,  and  if  they  float  they 
are  thrown  away  and  broken  as  bad.  The  negroes 
never  show  any  shame  when  caught  trying  to  cheat  in 
trade ;  they  laugh  at  it  as  a  good  joke. 

The  American  agent  who  had  made  all  the  trouble 
with  the  natives  was  a  young  man  of  no  judgment, 
and  had  frequently  outraged  the  feelings  of  the  negroes 
by  ignoring  their  established  etiquette,  and  frequently, 
also,  by  not  giving  the  price  for  articles  which  he  had 
agreed  to  give.  Some  of  the  older  traders  had  remon- 
strated with  him,  but  with  no  effect. 

The  immediate  cause  of  quarrel,  however,  was  his 
having  pelted  a  woman  who  brought  eggs  for  sale  with 
the  rotten  ones.  This  woman  was  the  wife  of  an  influ- 
ential man,  and  when  the  latter  came  to  complain  of 
this  treatment,  the  foolish  young  fellow  caught  up  a 
gun  and  ordered  the  negro  out  of  the  enclosure.  The 
stalwart  black  closed  with  him,  threw  him  down,  took 
his  gun  away,  and  carried  it  off  before  any  of  the  other 
traders  knew  anything  of  the  quarrel. 

This  was  a  dreadful  loss  of  prestige,  and  the  other 
agents  were  much  troubled  and  alarmed  by  it,  as  it 
gave  the  natives  a  good  cause  for  aggression. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  negroes  held  palavers,  and 
were  becoming  excited  over  the  prospect  of  plunder, 
and  they  threatened  to  "  clean  out"  the  traders'  settle- 
ment, plunder  their  goods,  and  cut  their  throats.  Fires 
were  burning,  and  dancing,  drum-beating,  and  gun- 


]18  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

firing  were  going  on  night  and  day,  and  from  the 
known  character  of  the  tribe  a  bloody  scene  was  sure  to 
be  enacted  soon. 

We  did  not  arrive  an  hour  too  soon,  for  on  the  pre- 
vious night  some  one  had  crept  up  and  fired  the  pow- 
der-house farthest  removed  from  the  beach,  and  nothing 
saved  the  whole  of  the  buildings  from  being  destroyed, 
when  the  explosion  scattered  the  burning  embers,  but 
a  tremendous  rain  which  was  falling. 

As  soon  as  we  anchored  we  sent  a  party  of  marines 
and  sailors  on  shore  under  proper  officers,  who  formed 
a  chain  of  sentries  round  the  traders'  settlement  during 
the  night ;  and  a  messenger  was  sent  to  the  head-men 
of  the  negroes  by  our  captain,  desiring  to  see  them  and 
hold  a  palaver. 

All  night  long  the  war-drums,  horns,  and  singing  of 
the  natives  were  heard.  In  the  short  intervals  the  howls 
of  the  wild  dogs  and  other  animals,  and  the  measured 
beat  of  the  heavy  surf  upon  the  beach,  made  most 
mournful  music.  We  had  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout,  for 
there  was  no  telling  when  an  arrow  or  a  spear  might 
come  hurtling  out  of  the  bush  or  long  grass  and  reeds. 
But  the  night  passed  without  any  alarm,  and  next  day 
we  found  that  our  presence  had  had  the  desired  effect, 
and  they  agreed  to  hold  a  palaver.  Our  captain  and 
some  of  the  officers  went  up  to  the  native  town,  escorted 
by  the  whole  of  our  marines,  and  finally  came  to  an 
arrangement  by  which  peace  was  restored, — the  captain 
agreeing  to  send  word  to  the  merchants  in  St.  Paul 
that  they  had  better  withdraw  their  agent,  and  send 
some  one  in  his  place  who  had  more  discretion. 

The  ship  was  anchored  about  three  miles  off,  the 


CHASING  SLAVERS  AT  THE   CONGO.         H9 

bottom  shoaling  very  gradually  here;  and,  upon  signal, 
sent  in  the  first  cutter  to  assist  in  taking  off  the  party. 
We  had  had  the  gig  and  second  cutter  hauled  up  on 
the  beach.  By  the  time  all  was  ready  the  surf  had 
increased  very  much,  as  it  often  does,  without  any 
apparent  cause.  Nevertheless,  the  captain  was  very 
anxious  to  get  off,  and  ordered  the  first  cutter  to  try 
it.  The  marines,  with  their  arms,  got  into  her,  and  a 
portion  of  the  other  crews  waded  out,  up  to  their 
shoulders,  to  give  her  a  send-off;  but  just  as  they 
were  obliged  to  let  go  a  huge  roller  came  in,  the  boat 
broached  to,  and  rolled  over  and  over, — men,  boat, 
and  oars  were  washed  ashore  promiscuously.  There 
was  evidently  no  use  in  trying  it  again  that  day. 
Some  of  the  negroes  waded  and  dove  about  in  the 
surf  until  they  had  recovered  most  of  the  muskets, 
and  then  the  whole  party  had  to  go  up  and  quarter 
upon  the  traders. 

It  was  only  on  the  second  morning  that  the  surf 
permitted  us  to  get  off;  and  as  soon  as  the  boats  were 
hoisted  we  sailed  for  the  Congo  once  more,  where  we 
were  to  meet  another  of  our  men-of-war,  which  was  to 
relieve  us,  and  permit  us  to  return  to  the  Mediter- 
ranean. 

While  we  were  standing  off  and  on  at  the  Congo's 
mouth,  three  days  after  this,  we  saw  an  American 
whaler  coming  up  from  the  southwest.  Sending  a 
boat  to  board  him,  he  reported  himself  as  the  "Honest 
John,  of  New  Bedford,"  on  a  sperm-whaling  cruise, 
last  from  the  St.  Helena  ground,  and  bound  into  Ka- 
benda  to  get  water,  yams,  and  fruit;  what  whalers 
call  "  recruit."  They  had  been  out  a  year,  and  had 


120  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

only  some  seventy  barrels  of  oil  on  board ;  and  the 
skipper  and  his  crew  did  not  seem  to  take  a  very 
bright  view  of  life  in  consequence. 

When  asked  why  he  had  not  gone  to  St.  Paul  or 
Bengtiela  to  recruit,  he  answered  that  things  were  too 
dear  there  and  the  port  charges  too  high. 

Two  days  after  our  relief  arrived,  and  we  were  free 
to  return  north. 

Something  in  the  manner  of  the  whaler's  captain  had 
aroused  a  suspicion  on  the  part  of  our  officers  that  he 
was  not  all  right,  and  we  determined  to  hug  the  coast 
and  look  him  up  on  our  way.  Accordingly  we  stood 
in  to  Kabenda,  and  found  the  bay  empty.  Heavy 
smokes  were  raised  in  the  bush  as  soon  as  we  appeared, 
which  were  repeated  towards  the  north.  This  was  a 
common  mode  of  telegraphing  the  presence  of  a  man- 
of-war,  and  rather  confirmed  our  suspicions,  especially 
as  our  friend,  the  Honest  John,  was  not  found  at  the 
place  which  he  had  given  as  his  destination.  So  we 
continued  to  work  up  the  coast,  keeping  a  bright  look- 
out. 

When  about  off  Loango  Bay  we  made  out  the  whaler 
from  aloft  steering  to  the  westward,  with  studding- 
sails  set,  and  easily  recognized  by  his  boats. 

We  at  once  made  all  sail  in  chase,  and,  as  he  sailed 
like  a  tub,  we  were  alongside  of  him  long  before  night. 
Coming  to  on  our  hail,  he  was  boarded  by  our  boat. 
It  had  been  noticed  for  some  time  before  that  his  "  try- 
works"  on  deck  were  in  full  operation. 

"  Why,  captain,"  said  the  boarding  officer,  "  you've 
been  fortunate,  and  caught  a  whale,  since  we  saw  yon, 
although  I  must  say  your  decks  look  uncommonly 


CHASING  SLAVERS  AT  THE  CONGO.         121 

clean  after  '  cutting  in.' "  The  skipper  gave  a  ghastly 
kind  of  grin,  and  muttered  something  in  the  affirmative. 

The  lieutenant  then,  throwing  off  his  jocose  manner, 
ordered  him  to  have  his  main-hatch  taken  off,  as  he 
wished  to  look  into  his  hold ;  and  then,  walking  for- 
ward to  his  try-works,  found  the  boilers  full  of  farina 
gruel,  bubbling  away  merrily,  like  an  old  woman's 
mush-pot  at  home.  The  hold,  when  opened,  was  found 
to  contain  over  four  hundred  negroes.  The  main-hatch 
had  been  put  on  just  before  we  boarded  them,  in  the 
faint  hope  that  it  would  not  be  opened. 

The  captain  of  the  whaling-slaver  now  fairly  broke 
down  and  blubbered  freely.  He  said  he  had  made  a 
bad  voyage,  and,  some  time  before,  had  put  into  Rio, 
where  he  was  approached  by  certain  men,  who  thought 
a  whaler  would  be  an  unsuspected  means  of  running  a 
cargo  of  slaves.  One  of  these  men  was  now  on  board 
as  an  agent, — a  swarthy  little  Portuguese,  who  was 
brought  up  from  the  cabin  blue  with  fear  that  he  would 
be  hung  upon  the  spot. 

In  despair  at  his  bad  luck,  the  skipper  had  yielded 
to  the  temptation.  Sending  home  as  freight  the  few 
barrels  of  oil  he  had  on  board,  he  had  fitted  for  the 
slave-voyage,  and  came  direct  to  the  coast. 

Here  he  was  a  prisoner,  his  vessel,  of  which  he  was 
half-owner,  forfeited,  and  he  might  forfeit  his  life; 
although  it  was  more  probable  he  would  get  off  with 
some  years'  imprisonment,  after  a  trial  at  home. 

He  and  his  chief  officer,  and  a  boat-steerer,  were  sent 

to  the  United  States  in  the  vessel,  with  a  prize-crew. 

The  rest  of  her  officers  and  men,  many  of  the  latter 

being  Portuguese  from  the  Azores  and  Brava,  were  after- 

F  11 


122  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

wards  landed  at  Porto  Praya,  to  find  their  way  home 
as  they  best  could.  They,  with  the  little  Portuguese 
agent,  were  on  board  of  us  for  some  time.  The  latter 
always  looked  most  ridiculous  as  well  as  miserable, 
hanging  about  the  gangways,  and  shoved  out  of  the 
way  by  our  men.  He  wore  patent-leather  boots  and  a 
very  high  hat,  both  soon  sadly  dilapidated,  and  when- 
ever he  passed  one  of  the  officers  he  would  shrug  up 
his  shoulders,  spread  out  the  palms  of  his  hands,  and 
roll  up  the  whites  of  his  eyes, — as  if  to  say  that  words 
were  wanting  to  express  the  indignities  he  was  suffer- 
ing. But  no  one  took  any  notice  of  him  except  to 
laugh  at  him. 

We  effected  all  the  arrangements  at  sea,  and  then 
made  sail,  bound  for  Cape  Palmas;  but  we  soon  parted 
company  with  the  dull-sailing  Honest  John,  instructing 
her  commanding  officer  to  make  the  best  of  his  way  to 
Monrovia,  land  the  slaves,  and  then  go  to  Philadelphia. 
That  passage  across  the  Gulf  of  Guinea  I  shall  always 
remember-as  one  of  the  most  disagreeable  I  ever  made 
in  any  part  of  the  world. 

It  was  the  rainy  season,  with  close  stifling  heat  day 
and  night.  Short  squalls,  alternating  with  calms,  re- 
quired sail  to  be  reduced  and  made  again  constantly. 
Torrents  of  rain  fell  continually,  requiring  the  tarpaulin 
hatch-covers  to  be  put  on  and  the  wind-sails  hauled  up, 
rendering  our  berth-deck  unbearable.  Everything  was 
damp  and  mouldy,  and  every  one  thoroughly  uncom- 
fortable. A  crop  of  mould  a  quarter  of  an  inch  long 
would  sometimes  grow  on  boots  and  other  leather  in  a 
few  hours. 

In  one  twenty-four  hours,  just  about  no  latitude  and 


CHASING  SLAVERS  AT  THE   CONGO.         123 

no  longitude, — or  where  the  meridian  of  Greenwich 
crosses  the  Equator, — we  only  made  seven  nautical 
miles. 

In  addition  to  all  this,  we  had  several  cases  of  the 
coast  fever  among  those  who  had  been  on  shore  at 
Ambrizette  and  up  the  river  in  the  boats.  One  of  the 
sick  men  in  his  delirium  eluded  the  messmate  who  was 
watching  him,  got  out  of  his  cot  under  the  forecastle, 
and  jumped  overboard,  going  down  like  a  stone.  Two 
days  after  one  of  the  midshipmen,  the  captain's  aid, 
and  a  general  favorite  throughout  the  ship,  died  of  the 
fever.  He  had  been  up  the  river  in  the  gig,  and  would 
not  take  the  quinine-whiskey.  We  buried  him  just  on 
the  Line,  and  as  the  body  sewed  in  his  hammock  plunged 
overboard,  it  was  with  great  difficulty  that  we  could 
keep  the  big  Newfoundland  dog  Sultan  from  jumping 
after  him.  He  was  very  fond  of  this  young  gentleman, 
and  had  never  left  him  for  more  than  a  few  minutes 
from  the  time  he  was  taken  sick.  One  of  our  officers 
wrote  to  the  midshipman's  family  about  this ;  and  when 
the  ship  went  home  to  be  paid  off,  his  brother  came  on 
board  and  asked  for  the  dog ;  and  as  he  belonged  to  no 
one  in  particular,  he  was  allowed  to  take  him  home. 

We  buried  two  more  before  we  got  out  of  the  gulf; 
but  everything  has  an  end,  and  at  the  end  of  twenty- 
seven  days  we  arrived  at  Cape  Pal  mas.  Here  the 
weather  was  better,  and  our  sick  began  to  improve. 
The  rains  mostly  came  at  night,  giving  us  a  chance  to 
dry  up  a  little,  and  we  had  plenty  of  limes  and  other 
acid  fruit  for  the  invalids.  They  had  felt  the  want  of 
these  and  of  cool  drinks  so  much ;  and  one  poor  fellow, 
who  died,  had  raved  during  his  whole  illness  of  the 


124  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

delicious  cool  water  in  his  father's  spring-house,  in 
Montgomery  County,  saying  he  should  get  well  if  he 
only  had  a  good  drink  from  the  tin  dipper. 

We  found  that  Jem  Jack,  though  rather  sulky,  had 
kept  pretty  quiet  during  our  absence,  and  had  rebuilt 
his  town.  This  was  the  planting  season,  and  he  had 
refrained  from  trespassing  on  the  disputed  ground. 
Sending  him  a  cautionary  message,  we  kept  on  up  the 
coast  to  Monrovia.  The  whole  coast  was  at  this  season 
most  sickly  and  disagreeable,  and  we  only  delayed  here 
long  enough  to  pay  off  and  discharge  our  Kroomen, 
and  to  get  some  washing  done  for  the  officers.  This 
latter  is  a  more  important  matter  than  at  first  appears. 
Jack  has  his  two  wash-days  a  week,  and  plenty  of  salt- 
water soap  to  do  it  with,  while  his  flannel  shirts  are 
"ironed"  by  being  rolled  up  very  hard  to  keep  the 
wrinkles  out.  But  the  officers  on  such  a  cruise  are  often 
put  to  great  straits,  for  they  must  appear  in  white  shirts, 
starched  and  ironed.  I  have  known  officers,  in  the 
old  days  of  sailing-ships  and  long  passages,  who  had 
six  or  eight  dozens  of  shirts, — drawer  after  drawer  full. 

There  were  plenty  of  candidates  for  this  work  among 
the  colored  female  emigrants  on  shore,  for  money  was 
scarce  enough  among  them.  Camwood,  a  red  dye- 
wood,  a  staple  of  the  colony,  was  then,  and  may  be  now, 
for  all  I  know,  a  legal  tender  in  Liberia.  One  old 
South  Carolina  "  mammy,"  to  whom  I  took  the  captain's 
clothes  to  be  washed,  said,  "  Laws-a-massy,  honey ! 
I  works  hard  here,  and  den  gits  paid  in  camwood ! 
De  Lord  he  knows  my  chillun  dey  can't  eat  camwood !" 

During  our  visit  Monrovia  was  in  great  excitement 
about  an  engagement  which  the  colonial  troops  had  had 


CHASING   SLAVERS  AT  THE   CONGO.         125 

with  the  natives  in  the  interior.  There  was  no  dis- 
guising the  fact  that  the  Monrovian  troops  had  been 
disgracefully  repulsed,  and  there  were  loud  complaints 
about  the  bad  behavior  of  the  mulatto  lieutenant-col- 
onel who  had  the  command.  He  had  attempted  to 
cross  a  field-piece  and  its  ammunition  over  a  lagune  in 
the  face  of  an  ambush  of  the  natives.  A  panic  ensued, 
the  canoe  with  the  field-piece  had  been  capsized,  and 
the  cannon  lost  in  fathomless  mud.  It  seemed  to  me, 
however,  that  the  big  drum  belonging  to  the  troops, 
which  had  also  been  lost  from  the  canoe  with  the  piece 
of  artillery,  was  quite  as  much  regretted  as  the  gun 
itself.  The  gun  was  the  only  field-piece  in  the  colony, 
but  the  drum  was  also  the  only  bass-drum.  Great  was 
the  genuine  lamentation  for  the  loss  of  "  de  big  drum." 

We  met  at  Monrovia  one  of  our  men-of-war,  the 
brig  Dolphin,  bound  up  to  Porto  Praya,  and  we  trans- 
ferred the  prisoners  from  the  whaler  to  her,  so  that  we 
should  not  be  obliged  to  go  there  to  land  them.  We 
were,  therefore,  clear  of  the  coast  when  we  sailed  from 
Monrovia,  and  glad  enough  every  one  was.  To  be  sure, 
we  had  made  some  prize-money,  which  sailors  always 
value  more  than  any  amount  of  wages,  and  we  had  had 
but  few  deaths  from  the  dreaded  fever.  But  the  whole 
ship's  company  looked  "dragged  out"  and  bilious,  as 
if  they  had  just  emerged  from  sickness. 

For  a  few  weeks  the  coast  of  Africa  is  very  interest- 
ing on  account  of  the  variety  of  tribes  and  manners 
which  one  sees,  but  it  soon  becomes  very  irksome. 
Few  of  the  crew  ever  have  the  chance  to  touch  the 
shore,  and  the  confinement  in  a  hot  climate  soon  tells 
upon  the  health  and  temper  of  all. 

11* 


CHAPTER   XII. 

WE  LEAVE  THE  COAST  OP  AFRICA  AND  GO  "  UP 
THE  STRAITS"  AGAIN. 

IT  is  not  worth  while  to  dwell  upon  our  passage 
north,  which  was  long  but  not  unpleasant. 

We  had  orders  to  touch  at  Lisbon  upon  some  busi- 
ness before  returning  to  the  Mediterranean,  but  we  re- 
mained there  only  forty-eight  hours,  as  the  cholera  was 
prevailing,  though  an  effort  was  made  to  keep  the  fact 
quiet.  We  received  our  despatches  and  the  necessary 
supplies  at  the  lower  anchorage,  near  Belem,  and  we 
got  away  finally  with  a  bill  of  health  which  declared 
that  cholera  was  only  suspected  to  exist. 

In  forty-eight  hours  more  we  were  in  Gibraltar,  but 
the  health  officer  on  coining  alongside  and  hearing 
where  we  were  from  would  not  give  us  pratique.  They 
keep  up  the  old  Spanish  over-particularity  in  quaran- 
tine at  Gibraltar,  partly  from  habit  and  tradition,  and 
partly  because  the  English  garrison  would  find  them- 
selves quarantined  from  the  neighboring  parts  of  Spain 
if  they  did  not,  and  thus  cut  off  from  their  supplies  of 
vegetables,  fruits,  and  other  matters,  on  which  their 
comfort  so  much  depends.  In  our  case,  however,  they 
were  right  enough.  Letters  which  had  accumulated 
here  for  the  ship  were  passed  on  board  in  a  metal  box 
at  the  end  of  a  long  pole,  and  those  we  sent  on  shore 
were  received  as  a  great  favor  in  the  same  way,  and 
126 


"  UP   THE  STRAITS."  127 

punched  through  and  through,  and  fumigated  well 
before  they  were  handled. 

When  once  a  vessel  begins  to  be  quarantined  in  the 
Mediterranean,  it  is  better  for  her  to  go  somewhere 
and  "  lay  it  out,"  get  a  clean  bill  of  health,  and  start 
afresh.  Otherwise,  she  is  like  u  Pussy"  in  the  chil- 
dren's game,  dodging  into  port  after  port,  and  being 
pushed  out  again  to  seek  another  "  corner." 

So,  after  getting  some  fruit  and  vegetables  (the 
money  in  payment  being  received  in  the  box,  on  the 
end  of  the  long  tongs,  duly  washed  in  sea-water,  and 
dipped  in  chloride  of  lime  before  it  was  handled),  we 
sailed  the  same  day  for  Mahon. 

This  place  was  selected  because  it  is  the  headquar- 
ters in  the  Mediterranean  for  the  Spanish  quarantine, 
which  is  acknowledged  to  be  the  strictest  possible. 
Any  ship  which  gets  a  "  clean  bill"  from  the  Mahon 
officials  must  be  clean  indeed,  and  above  all  sus- 
picion. 

Mahon  was  formerly  the  rendezvous  for  our  Medi- 
terranean squadron,  and  we  had  a  store-house  there. 
In  the  days  of  sailing-ships  the  vessels  wintered  there, 
and  the  officers  and  men  spent  a  great  deal  of  money, 
and  very  great  favorites  they  were  in  consequence. 
The  Spanish  officials,  with  their  foolish  jealousy,  had 
always  chafed  at  this,  and,  but  a  few  years  before,  had 
insisted  upon  our  removing  our  stores,  much  to  the 
chagrin  of  many  poor  people,  boatmen,  washerwomen, 
shoemakers,  and  tailors,  who  derived  the  greater  part  of 
their  meagre  living  from  the  squadron.  The  Spanish 
government  made  but  little  use  of  the  store-houses  after 
they  were  evacuated.  Everything  was  removed  to 


128  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

Spezia,  just  to  the  south  of  Genoa,  and  many  of  the 
poorer  Mahonese  migrated  with  the  store-house. 

Mahon  was  at  this  time  a  residence  for  decayed  peo- 
ple, who  wished  to  live  cheaply ;  a  place  of  banish- 
ment for  political  prisoners  from  Spain ;  and  a  general 
quarantine-station  for  Malaga,  Carthagena,  Valencia, 
Barcelona,  and  many  other  ports.  Vessels  which  were 
judged  to  be  subjects  for  quarantine  had  to  take  this  long 
and,  in  winter,  stormy  voyage  to  perform  it.  As  I  said 
before,  there  was  this  alleviation,  that  a  vessel  emerged 
from  that  quarantine  purged  as  with  fire, — a  Mahon 
bill  of  health  being  recognized  as  good  everywhere. 

The  harbor  is  a  remarkably  fine  and  secure  one,  with 
a  very  narrow  entrance,  like  the  neck  of  a  bottle.  The 
town  extends  along  a  plateau  on  the  south  side,  and 
there  are  several  islands  dotted  about,  one  of  which  is 
used  for  quarantine  purposes.  Little  stone  guard- 
houses, on  the  hill-sides  surrounding  the  harbor,  serve 
for  guards,  who  see  that  quarantine  is  not  infringed  or 
any  smuggling  done. 

When  we  anchored  a  large  boat  came  off,  with  a 
green-painted  awning  over  the  stern-sheets,  and  the 
gaudy  red-and-yellow  Spanish  flag  flying.  Under  the 
awning  reclined  two  or  three  officials,  quite  brilliant  in 
gold  lace  and  white  wash-leather  gloves.  One  of  these 
gentlemen  had  a  book,  in  which  he  noted  our  name, 
tonnage,  and  number  of  guns  and  crew,  which  were 
asked  by  one  of  the  boat's  crew,  acting  as  interpreter. 
Our  Lisbon  bill  of  health  was  then  handed  down, 
seized  with  a  pair  of  tongs  by  one  of  the  men,  and  pe- 
rused by  the  officer  at  arm's  length,  as  if  it  smelt  badly. 
The  upshot  of  the  whole  thing  was  that  we  were  to 


"  UP   THE  STRAITS."  129 

have  twenty-one  days'  quarantine;  and,  as  the  boat 
pulled  away,  the  yellow  flag  ascended  at  our  fore. 

The  time  wore  away  very  slowly,  although  \ve  took 
advantage  of  it  to  paint  ship,  refit  rigging,  and  gener- 
ally restore  our  smart  looks,  which  had  been  sadly 
impaired  by  the  African  cruise. 

At  the  end  of  fifteen  days  we  were  again  visited  by 
the  officials,  who,  finding  we  were  all  right,  with  no 
one  to  bury  and  no  sick-list  to  speak  of,  announced 
that  if  we  chose  to  land  the  whole  ship's  company  on 
the  island,  to  undergo  inspection  and  fumigation,  and 
have  the  ship  fumigated,  we  could  be  granted  pratique 
at  once.  All  this  because  we  had  been  in  Lisbon,  a 
"  suspected"  port,  more  than  a  month  before. 

Our  captain  hated  to  undergo  the  indignity  of  inspec- 
tion and  fumigation,  but  he  hated  still  more  to  take 
the  additional  days  of  quarantine,  which  was  becoming 
insufferably  tedious. 

So  next  morning,  after  breakfast,  the  boats  were  all 
manned,  and  half  the  crew  and  officers  went  over  to 
the  island,  the  other  half  going  when  the  first  party 
returned.  We  filed  before  the  health  officer,  who 
looked  at  each  of  us  as  if  he  expected  us  to  fall  down 
there  and  then  in  the  blue  stage  of  cholera.  We  were 
then  taken,  two  or  three  at  a  time,  into  a  little  stone 
cell,  where  a  pot  of  something  nasty  made  a  great 
smell,  kept  there  until  the  smoke  made  us  cough,  and 
then  allowed  to  come  out.  A  few  pots  of  the  same  nas- 
tiness  were  allowed  to  fume  on  our  berth-deck  for  half 
an  hour,  and  then  we  were  declared  to  have  pratique, 
and  furnished  with  a  bill  of  health  as  strong  as  an 
"  iron-clad  oath"  of  later  days. 

F* 


130  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

As  an  additional  evidence  of  their  strictness  I  may 
mention  that  a  day  or  two  after  this  it  blew  a  gale  of 
wind  outside,  and  a  large  Spanish  brig,  trying  to  make 
the  narrow  mouth  of  the  harbor,  struck  the  rocks  on 
the  south  side,  and  bid  fair  soon  to  become  a  wreck. 

Our  boats  were  called  away  as  soon  as  we  perceived 
that  no  preparations  were  making  elsewhere  to  afford 
assistance.  When  we  got  down  near  the  vessel  we  were 
hailed  by  a  quarantine  boat,  to  say  that  if  we  boarded 
the  vessel,  or  took  her  crew  off,  and  it  turned  out  that 
they  were  subject  to  quarantine,  we  would  have  to  un- 
dergo the  same.  Of  course  we  took  the  men  off,  and 
next  morning  the  brig  had  broken  up  and  almost  dis- 
appeared. Fortunately,  they  were  from  Majorca,  and 
so  did  not  involve  us  in  another  quarantine. 

After  this  we  had  a  "general  liberty"  at  Mahon, 
which  did  every  one  good,  for  many  of  the  ship's  com- 
pany had  not  been  on  shore  for  eight  months.  The 
majority  behaved  remarkably  well,  but  a  few,  who  were 
drunk  and  fighting,  were  put  in  the  calaboose  on  shore, 
and  much  bruised  by  the  butts  of  the  muskets  of  the 
Spanish  soldiers  who  arrested  them. 

The  mass  of  the  people  of  Mahon  are  very  poor,  but 
their  houses,  of  stone,  are  kept  remarkably  clean.  It  is 
an  old  saying,  that  if  a  Mahonese  has  a  "  medio,"  he 
will  spend  half  of  it  for  lime  for  whitewashing  and 
the  other  half  for  tobacco  for  his  cigarrito. 

With  chocolate  and  a  cigar,  and  a  long  cloak  to  hide 
all  deficiencies  of  costume,  a  Mahonese  will  bask  in  the 
sun  and  be  perfectly  contented.  The  Spaniards  are 
very  queer  people,  and  much  as  I  have  been  among 
them,  I  have  never  quite  got  used  to  their  odd  ways  of 


"  UP   THE  STRAITS."  131 

doing  things.  While  on  shore  I  had  occasion  to  post 
a  letter  to  the  owners  of  the  Mary  about  the  wages 
due  Erie  and  myself  at  the  time  of  the  vessel's  loss. 
Going  to  the  post-office  with  my  letter,  I  found  that 
stamps  were  not  sold  there,  but  at  a  general  shop  in 
another  street.  When  I  asked  the  reason  for  this,  I 
was  told  it  was  a  "  cosa  de  Espaiia."  And  so  with 
many  things.  If  anything  seems  right  and  natural 
according  to  our  ideas,  it  is  pretty  sure  to  be  the  other 
way  in  Spain.  For  instance,  they  make  no  difficulty 
about  having  a  case  of  smallpox  landed  among  them, 
but  it  is  hard  to  get  them  to  receive  a  person  with  con- 
sumption ;  and  the  room  which  has  been  occupied  by  a 
consumptive  is  always  scrupulously  purified  and  dis- 
infected afterwards. 

As  soon  as  we  were  done  giving  "  liberty"  we  sailed 
for  Spezia,  going  round  north  of  Sardinia,  and  getting 
a  gale  off  Cape  Corso,  during  which  we  were  very  near 
being  lost  on  the  island  of  Gorgona,  where  there  is  no 
light,  or  was  not  then. 

At  Spezia  we  found  our  commodore,  in  a  frigate,  and 
a  store-ship,  just  out  from  home,  with  stores  to  replenish 
our  store-house  there. 

The  bay  is  a  most  lovely  and  picturesque  one,  but 
the  town  had  nothing  particular  to  distinguish  it  from 
any  other  rather  decayed  Italian  city.  Since  that  time 
it  has  become  a  very  different  place.  The  Coast  Rail- 
road has  been  finished;  and  the  Italians  have  built 
great  docks  and  a  navy-yard,  and  our  stores  have  again 
been  turned  out,  and  found  other  quarters. 

Our  captain,  with  a  party,  pulled  down  and  had  a 
picnic  at  the  place  where  the  poet  Shelley  lived,  and 


132  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

near  where  he  was  drowned,  and  his  body  finally 
burned.  Our  gig  and  the  commodore's  barge  took  the 
party  down.  Several  very  sweet  ladies  were  among 
them,  and  I  enjoyed  hearing  their  talk  about  the  lo- 
cality and  the  persons  who  had  lived  there,  which  I 
managed  to  do  while  making  myself  useful  in  bringing 
up  the  baskets  of  provisions. 

As  soon  as  we  were  provisioned,  we  were  put  under 
sailing  orders  for  the  Levant,  touching  at  Malta,  with 
some  despatches  for  our  consul  there. 

From  Malta  we  had  a  tedious  passage  to  Milo,  in 
the  Grecian  Archipelago,  or  l<  the  Arches,"  as  sailors 
call  them.  Milo  has  a  rough,  dreary,  desolate  look, 
and  the  town  is  perched  on  the  rocks  on  the  east  side 
of  the  bay,  around  which  the  island  curves  like  a  ring, 
with  a  rather  narrow  entrance.  Milo  has  a  seafaring 
population,  and  is  visited  by  our  ships  for  the  purpose 
of  procuring  pilots,  who  are  much  needed  in  cruising 
among  the  islands.  We  were  fortunate  in  getting  old 
Stephano,  who  had  been  pilot  on  board  many  of  our 
men-of-war,  and  especially  in  the  frigate  United  States 
in  1833.  Stephano  was  on  board  of  us  some  time, 
and  as  he  told  me  the  yarn  about  the  gale  among  the 
Greek  islands  in  that  frigate  before  we  parted  with 
him,  I  may  as  well  give  the  story  here.  It  shows  the 
danger  of  winter  navigation  in  what  most  shore- 
going  people  are  accustomed  to  consider  a  calm  and 
safe  sea. 

Two  French  men-of-war,  the  line-of-battle  ship  Su- 
perbe  and  the  frigate  Galatea,  and  two  Americans, 
the  United  States,  with  Commodore  Patterson's  flag, 
and  the  Constellation,  both  frigates,  sailed  from  Smyrna 


"  UP  THE  STRAITS."  133 

together  one  day  in  December.  Before  they  got 
clear  of  the  bay  it  was  evident  that  they  were  going 
to  have  a  gale  from  the  north, — a  regular  "  tramontana 
negra." 

It  would  have  been  better  for  them  to  return  to  a 
safe  anchorage ;  but  there  had  been  some  rivalry  and 
talk  about  trying  sailing  qualities,  and  neither  nation- 
ality would  show  the  white  feather,  so  they  all  stood  on. 
Before  they  were  out  of  the  gulf  they  were  all  under 
double-reefed  top-sails,  and  an  hour  later  it  blew  a  per- 
fect tempest,  and  night  was  coming  on.  Even  then 
it  was  so  black  and  lowering,  and  the  spoon-drift  and 
rain  so  filled  the  air,  that  Stephano  said  it  was  almost 
impossible  to  see  two  ships'  lengths,  and  no  horizon 
could  be  made  out.  The  Greek  islands  have  gener- 
ally deep  water  close  to,  and  a  vessel  striking  their 
iron-bound  and  precipitous  sides  goes  to  pieces  surely. 
There  were  then  no  lights  ;  indeed,  there  are  few  now, 
and  the  islands  were  thick  about  them.  By  midnight 
they  had  cleared  Ohio  and  Ipsara,  and  then,  in  a  more 
open  sea,  the  damage  commenced.  Anchors,  well  se- 
cured, were  washed  off  the  forecastles;  guns  got  adrift, 
and  kilted  or  maimed  the  men  who  tried  to  secure 
them ;  and  the  huge  Superbe  made  much  worse  weather 
than  the  frigates,  rolling  frightfully,  and  soon  losing 
her  main-top  mast.  If  there  had  been  more  sea-room 
there  would  have  been  less  danger,  but  it  was  impos- 
sible for  them  to  heave  to,  because  they  would  have 
drifted  down  on  some  island,  or  rock,  to  leeward. 
There  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  scud,  keep  a  bright 
lookout,  and  take  the  chances. 

At  this  time  the  vessels  separated,  each  captain  with 
12 


134  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

his  pilot  taking  the  course  which  seemed  to  him  best. 
The  Galatea  and  the  Constellation  stood  through  the 
passage  of  Andros,  but  did  not  know  that  they  had 
passed  through  it  until  a  momentary  break  enabled  the 
pilots  to  recognize  that  they  had  left  astern  a  passage 
where  a  few  yards'  deviation  would  have  torn  the  ships 
to  toothpicks,  and  drowned  every  soul  on  board.  They 
both  got  into  Milo  eventually. 

The  United  States  was  several  times  supposed  to 
be  among  the  rocks.  In  the  midst  of  a  frightful  squall 
she  had  run  into  the  narrow  passage  between  Tinos  and 
Andros.  Even  in  the  best  weather  no  vessel  of  any 
size  would  attempt  that  passage.  She  got  through,  but 
Stephano  says  he  does  not  know  how.  All  hands  were 
kept  on  deck  to  give  them  a  faint  chance  to  save  them- 
selves should  the  vessel  strike.  Once  through,  they  had 
a  lee,  and  hove  to  until  the  weather  moderated. 

The  Superbe  passed  Andros,  and  early  in  the 
morning  got  a  glimpse  of  Tinos  and  Myconi.  She 
had  now  lost  all  her  boats  and  all  the  sails  she  had 
bent,  but  the  foretop-sail.  She  then  tried  for  the  port 
of  Naussa,  but  her  pilot  mistook  his  marks  and  ran 
her  into  a  false  bay.  A  slight  shift  of  wincTand  the 
current,  repelled  by  the  rocky  shore,  enabled  them  to 
crawl  out  of  that,  all  their  eight  hundred  lives  depend- 
ing upon  a  foretop-sail,  which  the  squalls  threatened 
every  moment  to  split,  or  take  entirely  out  of  the  bolt- 
ropes.  For  two  hours  did  they  watch  that  sail,  and 
finally  they  crept  clear  of  the  point  of  the  bay.  But 
night  was  coming  on  again,  every  one  was  worn  out, 
and  something  must  be  done. 

They  tried  for  the  anchorage  of  Parakia,  and  reached 


"  UP   THE  STRAITS."  135 

it,  or  near  to  it,  by  a  narrow  and  dangerous  passage. 
Just  at  the  mouth  of  the  bay,  by  some  mistake  in  orders 
an  anchor  was  let  go,  the  ship  swung  to  it  and  the  chain 
parted.  The  port  sheet-anchor  was  instantly  cleared 
away  and  let  go,  but  it  was  too  late.  The  splendid 
vessel  went  on  the  rocks  and  was  a  wreck.  Her  fore- 
castle was  soon  under  water,  but  the  poop  and  quarter- 
deck held  together,  and  was  the  refuge  for  all  her  eight 
hundred. 

A  frightful  sea  was  running,  and  every  now  and  then 
a  larger  wave,  like  a  savage  hound  after  its  prey,  would 
dash  up  and  lick  off  a  few  of  the  outside  men  as  they 
crowded  together,  grinding  them  to  pieces  on  the  rocks 
before  the  eyes  of  those  who  expected  their  turn  to  come 
next.  All  night  long  this  went  on,  but  the  next  day 
the  majority  were  rescued  by  the  islanders  when  the 
sea  had  somewhat  gone  down. 

Such  was  old  Stephano's  "yarn,"  showing  what  a 
"  tramontana"  is  among  the  Greek  islands. 

From  Milo  we  made  the  best  of  our  way  to  the  Gulf 
of  Iskanderoon,  and  came  to  in  the  port  of  Alexan- 
dretta,  as  it  is  called  by  the  Christians,  but  the  Turks 
call  it  Iskanderoon ;  which  means  the  same  thing,  or 
Little  Alexandria.  This  is  the  seaport  of  Aleppo  and 
Antioch,  and  was  named  from  Alexander  the  Great, 
who,  not  far  from  here,  gained  one  of  his  greatest 
victories. 

We  had  been  sent  to  this  out-of-the-way  place  on  a 
rather  singular  errand. 

Some  time  before  the  cavass,  or  armed  attendant  of 
our  consul,  while  riding  out  on  the  road  to  Antioch 
with  some  official  letters,  had  been  attacked  by  savage 


136  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

dogs  belonging  to  a  Turkish  agriculturist,  and  it  is  pre- 
sumed in  self-defence  killed  one  of  them  with  his 
sword.  The  Turk  waited  for  the  return  of  tli£  cavass, 
who  was  a  Syrian  Christian,  and  lying  in  ambush  be- 
hind a  rough  stone  wall,  shot  him  with  the  long  musket 
these  people  use.  So  close  was  he  that  the  cavass's  head 
was  almost  blown  to  pieces  by  the  charge.  His  horse 
ran  home  to  the  consulate  covered  with  blood;  and 
search  was  at  once  made  along  the  road.  The  place 
of  the  murder  was  found,  but  the  body  was  not  dis- 
covered for  some  time,  as  it  had  been  thrown  into  a 
ravine. 

The  Turkish  authorities  being  pressed  by  the  resi- 
dent consuls,  who  were  almost  equally  concerned  in 
requiring  satisfaction  for  the  outrage,  arrested  the  man 
near  whose  house  the  murder  had  been  committed,  and 
found  in  his  possession  the  arms  of  the  dead  cavass. 

The  Turk  was  imprisoned,  but  the  consuls  knew  very 
well  that  he  would  not  be  effectually  punished  unless 
a  great  effort  was  made.  The  affair  was,  accordingly, 
at  once  reported  to  our  minister  at  Constantinople.  As 
the  cavass  was  in  the  employ  and  under  the  protection 
of  our  consulate,  he  was,  under  the  treaty,  to  be  con- 
sidered an  American ;  and  our  minister  at  once  got  an 
order  from  the  highest  authority  that  strict  justice 
should  be  done  in  the  case. 

After  long  delays  the  murderer  was  condemned  to 
be  hung,  and  the  pasha  governing  the  district  desired 
the  attendance  of  the  different  consuls  and  of  a  man- 
of-war  at  the  execution.  So  this  was  the  cause  of  our 
being  ordered  up  there. 

Our  captain  at  once  made  his  official  call  on  the 


"  UP   THE  STRAITS."  137 

authorities  in  company  with  the  consul,  and  it  was  ar- 
ranged that  the  execution  should  take  place  on  the  next 
day  but  one,  on  the  spot  where  the  murder  had  been 
committed. 

It  was  feared  that  some  disturbance  might  take  place, 
especially  among  the  Anatolian  Tebecks  and  other  ir- 
regular troops.  These  are  fanatical  and  unruly  at  all 
times.  Most  picturesque  and  savage-looking  fellows 
j.  '.  they  are,  with  their  waist-shawls  crammed  full  of  pistols 
and  yataghans,  and  carrying  muskets  with  barrels  about 
five  feet  long.  Most  of  these  were  sent  to  Aleppo  on 
some  pretence,  and  the  regular  Turkish  infantry,  or 
nizam,  formed  the  guard  for  the  occasion. 

On  the  appointed  morning  our  captain  and  all  the 
•>  officers  who  could  be  spared,  with  about  fifty  sailors 
and  marines,  went  on  shore.  Meeting  the  consul,  we 
all  went  out  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  to  the  place 
of  execution,  accompanied  by  a  Turkish  guard  of 
honor.  Our  officers  and  men  had  side-arms  and  pistols, 
but  no  muskets,  as  it  is  not  considered  the  proper  thing 
to  land  on  a  friendly  foreign  soil  "  under  arms,"  as  it 
is  technically  called.  Soon  after  we  got  to  the  place 
the  condemned  man  appeared,  with  his  hands  tied 
behind  him.  He  looked  as  if  he  would  have  died  in 
prison  if  he  had  been  kept  there  much  longer.  A 
more  squalid,  starved-looking  savage  I  have  seldom 
seen.  He  was  surrounded  by  a  guard  of  soldiers,  and 
some  Turkish  officers  brought  up  the  rear  on  horse- 
back. 

Without  any  more  ado  the  wretch  was  brought  under 
the  limb  of  a  tree,  a  halter  was  put  about  his  neck,  and 
the  rope  thrown  over  a  branch,  and  two  stout  fellows 

12* 


138  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

at  once  hauled  him  off  the  ground  by  jerks,  planting 
their  feet  against  the  trunk  of  the  tree  for  a  purchase. 
The  man  kicked  most  horribly,  for  his  feet  had  not 
been  tied,  and  it  was  at  least  fifteen  minutes  before  his 
struggles  ceased. 

Leaving  him  hanging  there,  we  all  marched  back  to 
the  town,  and  the  captain  went  to  the  pasha's  and  signed 
a  declaration  that  the  execution  had  duly  taken  place. 

The  thing  was  necessary,  as  a  bad  feeling  had  been 
growing  for  some  time  in  that  part  of  Asia  Minor,  and 
some  decided  action  had  to  be  taken  for  the  protection 
of  Christians.  The  Turkish  officials  did  not  like  it, 
but  they  did  their  duty. 

Next  day  the  captain  called  on  the  pasha,  and 
thanked  him  for  the  part  he  had  taken  in  the  business. 
Our  consul  then  came  off  to  the  ship,  and  was  duly 
saluted  and  made  much  of  by  way  of  imposing  on  the 
rabble.  I  took  him  on  shore  afterwards  in  the  gig,  and 
observed  that  he  was  a  measly-looking  little  man,  ap- 
parently of  a  meek  mind  and  weakly  body,  and  he 
jumped  almost  out  of  his  skin  at  each  gun  of  his  sa- 
lute. I  heard  he  was  from  Ohio,  and  had  been  a  den- 
tist, until  his  health  failed,  and  he  got  the  appoint- 
ment of  consul.  A  man  less  fitted  to  manage  the 
people  among  whom  he  lived  could  not  be  found,  even 
under  our  system  of  distributing  consulates. 

That  evening  we  sailed  for  Larnaca,  in  Cyprus, 
thence  to  Beyrout.  We  were  ordered  to  stop  at  Cy- 
prus because  our  ships  very  seldom  went  there,  and  it 
was  thought  proper  to  "show  the  flag,"  and  let  the 
people  there  see  that  there  was  at  least  one  man-of-war 
belonging  to  the  far-off  America.  Larnaca  is  a  very 


"  UP  THE  STRAITS."  139 

dull  Turkish  town,  and  there  is  little  to  see  or  to  do. 
The  foreign  consuls  all  live  together  in  one  part  of  the 
town,  some  of  them  in  contiguous  houses,  and  thus 
constitute  a  little  society  among  themselves.  Since  the 
time  I  speak  of  we  have  had  an  energetic  and  active  man 
there,  who  has  made  extensive  excavations  and  discov- 
eries of  antiquities,  to  the  increase  of  his  reputation  as 
well  as  his  fortune. 

As  the  consul  and  our  captain  were  wandering  about, 
followed  by  the  consul's  cavass  and  myself,  we  came 
upon  an  ancient  portal,  inside  which  was  a  tomb,  which, 
he  said,  tradition  declares  to  be  that  of  Lazarus. 

Our  captain  very  truly  remarked  "  that,  to  be  sure, 
he  must  have  been  buried  somewhere  at  last,  but  so  few 
persons  ever  think  of  the  portion  of  his  life  which  came 
after  the  miracle." 

The  bay  was  full  of  sponge-fishers :  Greeks,  Italians, 
and  Maltese.  They  come  here  in  small  feluccas,  and 
have  to  pay  a  tax  for  the  privilege  of  fishing. 

The  divers  have  a  heavy  flat  stone  slung  to  a  rope, 
and  grasping  this  with  their  feet,  they  are  carried  rapidly 
to  the  bottom.  Detaching  with  a  knife  as  many  sponges 
as  they  can,  they  poke  them  into  a  bag,  and  are  then 
hauled  up  to  the  surface,  and  taken  on  board  a  small 
boat  or  the  felucca  itself.  When  the  bay  is  calm  the 
water  is  so  clear  that  the  sponges  can  be  easily  seen  at 
a  depth  of  four  or  five  fathoms,  and  the  divers,  many 
of  whom  can  stay  down  for  three  minutes,  select  a 
likely  group  before  descending. 

We  bought  splendid  large  sponges  of  these  people 
for  a  mere  trifle,  sometimes  trading  for  hard  bread. 
They  were  soaked  in  fresh  water,  in  the  division  tubs, 


140  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

until  the  animal  matter  decayed  and  was  washed  off, 
making  an  awful  smell.  They  were  then  soaked  in 
vinegar  and  water  to  take  out  the  lime,  and  last  a  long 
time  when  used  for  washing  paint-work. 

I  may  mention  that,  while  saluting  the  Turkish  flag 
in  Larnaca,  one  of  our  men  had  his  right  arm  blown 
off  by  the  carelessness  of  the  captain  of  his  gun  in 
serving  the  vent.  His  arm  had  to  be  amputated  that 
same  afternoon. 


CHAPTEE    XIII. 

I   GO   TO   JERUSALEM,    AND   MEET  WITH   A    NEAELY 
FATAL   ACCIDENT. 

WE  touched  at  Beyrout  for  a  day,  making  the  ne- 
cessary calls  and  firing  the  necessary  salutes,  and  then 
passed  on  down  the  Syrian  coast,  touching  at  Sai'da 
and  Haiffa,  under  Mount  Carmel,  at  which  places  we 
gave  the  countenance  of  our  presence  to  a  couple  of 
Hebrew  gentlemen  who  spoke  little  or  no  English, 
and  whose  office  of  American  commercial  agent  served 
to  forward  their  own  commercial  enterprises,  and  to 
protect  them  in  some  degree  from  the  bullying  of  the 
Turkish  officials. 

Finally  we  anchored  off  Jaffa.  This  is  an  open 
roadstead  and  a  bad  anchorage  combined.  At  the  sea- 
son of  the  year  in  which  we  then  were  (the  autumn),  it 
is  subject  to  westerly  gales,  which  roll  in  a  very  ugly  sea. 

Every  one  was  anxious  to  go  to  Jerusalem.  So  the 
captain  allowed  half  the  officers,  and  the  men  of  the 
starboard  watch  who  wished  to  go,  to  start  at  once. 
The  only  exceptions  were  those  upon  the  "black-list," 
and  those  who  had  nothing  due  them  on  the  purser's 
books.  The  captain  determined  to  go  with  the  first 
party  himself,  and  took  me  with  him. 

Jaffa  is  a  typical  Eastern  town,  built,  for  the  most 
part,  on  a  low  conical  hill,  the  houses  flat-roofed,  and 
the  whole  surrounded  by  a  wall,  much  as  in  ancient 

141 


142  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

times,  I  fancy.  I  heard  our  surgeon  say  that,  in  all 
probability,  something  of  a  hill  had  always  been  there, 
from  the  appearance  of  the  rocks  in  the  neighborhood, 
but  he  had  no  doubt  the  height  was  much  increased  by 
the  ruins  and  accumulations  of  ages,  the  present  town 
being  purely  Turkish,  and  the  houses  comparatively 
modern,  although  ancient  enough  in  plan  and  appear- 
ance. 

There  is  a  small  harbor,  only  for  boats  and  small 
vessels,  formed  by  a  jagged  reef  of  rocks,  running  par- 
allel with  the  shore,  through  an  interval  in  which  we 
pulled  in.  The  surf  beats  very  savagely  on  these  sharp 
rocks,  and  it  behooves  one  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout,  for 
the  least  graze  would  wreck  a  boat.  I  long  afterwards 
read  the  story,  in  the  mythology,  of  Andromeda  being 
chained  to  these  rocks,  and  of  her  rescue  by  Perseus 
from  the  sea-monster. 

A  party  of  seven  or  eight  officers  and  about  fifty  men 
landed  at  Jaffa,  and,  going  through  a  sea-gate,  guarded 
by  Turkish  soldiers,  we  followed  a  guide  through  nar- 
row and  crooked  streets,  very  filthy,  and  full  of  mangy 
dogs,  women  with  high  clogs  and  veils,  and  dirty  men 
and  boys  with  donkeys. 

In  a  street  in  the  higher  part  of  the  town  we  came 
to  an  inn  kept  by  a  Jew  who  spoke  English,  where  the 
officers  went  up-stairs,  and  we  men  occupied  the  court- 
yard. 

Our  consular  agent  soon  appeared  (he  was  a  Jew, 
too),  bringing  with  him  several  dragomans,  Maltese, 
Italian,  Greek,  and  Syrian,  all  anxious  to  escort  us  to 
the  Holy  City. 

After  some  bargaining  the  captain  decided  upon  en- 


I  GO   TO  JERUSALEM.  143 

gaging  a  Syrian,  named  Nijem,  who  agreed  to  provide 
food,  lodging,  and  horses,  during  the  trip,  for  five  dol- 
lars a  day  for  the  officers,  and  three  for  the  men.  He 
then  set  off  to  prepare  for  the  trip,  and  the  horses  soon 
began  to  arrive,  until  at  last  the  street  in  front  of  the 
inn  was  quite  blocked. 

Some  of  them  were  good  enough,  but  most  of  them 
were  the  veriest  scarecrows  that  could  possibly  be  seen. 
It  might,  however,  be  truly  said  that  the  animals  were 
good  enough  for  the  people  who  bestrode  them,  for  I 
fancy  that  threescore  worse  riders  seldom  set  out  on  a 
journey  before. 

We  started  finally  about  two  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon, and  going  through  the  gardens  in  the  suburbs 
and  over  the  plain  of  Sharon,  we  arrived  at  Ramleh 
about  sunset.  Here  we  were  to  get  supper  and  wait 
until  the  moon  rose,  at  midnight,  and  then  go  on. 
Nijem  led  us  to  one  of  the  Latin  convents,  where  trav- 
ellers and  pilgrims  are  received;  but,  when  the  monks 
saw  our  cavalcade,  they  very  shortly  shut  the  gate  in  our 
faces,  with  a  "  not  possib."  We  then  filed  off  through 
the  narrow  lanes,  between  stone  walls  and  cactus- 
hedges,  to  the  large  Russian  convent,  the  gates  of  which 
we  entered  just  as  the  muezzin  in  the  minaret  of  the 
mosque  over  the  way  was  making  his  last  call  to  prayer. 

The  Russians  were  perfectly  polite,  and  we  were 
shown  to  a  large  room,  while  our  horses  and  their 
keepers,  who  had  accompanied  us,  went  into  the  large 
court-yard,  to  keep  company  with  plenty  of  camels, 
mules,  and  donkeys  and  their  drivers,  a  savage-looking 
lot  of  Arabs  and  negroes. 

After  a  time  Nijem  managed  to  get  us  fried  eggs,  a 


144  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

stew  of  mutton,  and  flat  flour  cakes,  baked  on  stone 
griddles.  The  officers  had  much  the  same,  in  a  room 
above. 

When  the  moon  rose  we  started  again  for  the  Wady 
Ali,  where  we  ascended  the  mountains.  As  we  did  so 
it  became  very  cold,  and  many  suffered  a  good  deal ; 
and  the  road  was  extremely  rough,  and  not  very  easy 
riding,  even  by  daylight,  in  many  places.  We  reached 
Jerusalem  early  in  the  morning,  and  the  men  were  all 
quartered  in  an  inn  kept  by  a  Greek,  the  officers  going 
to  another  hotel. 

For  the  three  days  we  stayed  we  were  constantly  occu- 
pied in  visiting  the  different  places  of  interest,  includ- 
ing Bethany,  the  Mount  of  Olives,  and  Bethlehem. 

I  must  say  that  I  have  never  seen  a  large  party  of 
sailors  behave  better  than  our  men  did  during  this  visit. 
Indeed,  they  showed  much  more  intelligent  curiosity, 
and  behaved  with  more  decorum,  than  did  some  of 
the  parties  of  travellers  which  we  met  at  the  holy 
places. 

-We  left  for  Jaffa  again  loaded  down  with  articles 
of  mother-of-pearl  and  olive-wood,  and  got  back  to 
the  ship  on  the  same  evening,  with  the  exception  of 
one  or  two  of  the  men,  who  had  got  hold  of  some 
"raki/'a  villainous  spirit,  flavored  with  anise.  These 
had  stopped  by  the  wayside  to  sleep  off"  the  effects;  but 
an  offer  of  a  reward  of  ten  dollars  each,  to  be  charged 
to  the  accounts  of  the  offenders,  soon  set  people  off 
after  them,  and  they  were  brought  in  safely. 

As  soon  as  we  got  back  the  of  her  party  started. 
They  had  not  been  gone  many  hours  when  the  weather 
became  bad,  a  strong  southwester  set  in,  and  we  were 


I  GO   TO  JERUSALEM.  145 

obliged  to  get  under  way,  working  off  shore  with 
a  good  deal  .of  difficulty.  The  sea  was  very  nasty, 
short,  and  chopping,  giving  the  ship  a  great  deal  of 
motion. 

As  the  coxswain  of  the  second  cutter  was  with  the 
party  on  shore,  I  was  directed  to  look  out  for  his  boat, 
and  to  secure  her  for  bad  weather.  I  got  some  of  her 
crew,  and  we  passed  the  gripes  round  her ;  and  I  was 
standing  on  the  hammock-rail,  and  "  swigging  off"  on 
the  lanyard,  when  it  parted,  the  ship  giving  a  heavy 
roll  to  port  at  the  same  time,  and  I  fell  in  on  deck 
with  great  force. 

When  I  came  to  my  senses  I  was  in  a  cot  in  the 
sick-bay.  A  "cot"  is  made  of  canvas,  stretched  on  a 
frame,  with  sides  of  canvas,  to  keep  one  from  rolling 
out,  and  ends,  to  which  the  sides  are  laced.  The  cot  is 
suspended  by  "nettles"  from  the  head  and  foot,  con- 
verging to  a  ring,  which  suspends  the  whole  from 
hammock-hooks  in  the  beams.  When  the  cot  is  soiled 
the  frame  is  taken  out,  and  the  canvas  unlaced  and 
scrubbed,  just  like  a  hammock.  I  am  thus  particular 
in  describing  a  cot,  because  at  this  time  I  spent  many 
weeks  in  one. 

Sailors  on  board  a  man-of-war  are  rather  afraid  of 
a  cot,  because,  as  it  takes  up  much  more  room  than  a 
hammock,  one  is  seldom  ordered  by  the  doctor,  except 
for  a  very  serious  case. 

A  long  time  had  elapsed  since  I  had  fallen,  and  it 
was  night  when  I  regained  my  consciousness. 

The  berth-deck  was  close  and  heavy  with  the  breath 
of  many  men,  and  the  hammocks,  in  close  files,  swayed 
to  and  fro  with  the  motion  of  the  ship.  Long-drawn 
G  13 


146  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

snores,  muttered  words  spoken  in  sleep,  an  occasional  cry 
of  a  man  with  nightmare,  and  the  regular  creaking  of 
the  bulkheads,  were  heard  below.  On  deck  was  heard 
the  "  slat"  of  the  weather-leech  of  a  sail,  followed  by 
"  Mind  your  weather  helm !"  from  the  officer  of  the 
deck,  and  "  Dice  !  no  higher !"  from  the  quartermaster 
at  the  con.  These  came  below,  subdued  in  sound,  and 
only  seemed  to  add  to  the  general  sense  of  quiet  of  a 
night-watch  in  moderate  weather. 

The  reflector-lights  of  the  berth-deck  lamps  cast 
deep  shadows  along  the  deck,  and  a  horn-lantern,  in 
the  hands  of  the  surgeon's  steward,  threw  a  light  upon 
my  cot  and  into  my  eyes.  "  He'll  do  now,  Conner," 
I  heard  a  voice  say ;  and  then  coming  round  to  my 
side,  and  looking  into  my  face,  our  surgeon  said,  "  Lie 
still,  now,  Carlyon,  and  do  not  try  to  talk  or  think. 
You've  had  a  bad  fall,  but  we'll  try  to  patch  you  up, 
my  man." 

I  did  not  feel  like  talking,  and  could  only  manage  to 
say  "  Water !" 

"  Get  the  monkey  from  my  room,  Conner,  and  give 
him  a  drink." 

A  monkey  is  a  porous  earthen  jar,  with  two  orifices. 
One  is  a  funnel  to  fill  it  by,  and  the  other  a  spout  to 
drink  from.  The  evaporation  from  the  porous  clay, 
especially  when  swinging  in  a  draft,  cools  the  water,  so 
that  refreshing  drink  is  possible  where  ice  is  never  seen. 

I  felt  terribly  sore  and  full  of  pain,  while  my  head 
seemed  "  dazed,"  as  if  it  belonged  to  some  one  else ; 
but  I  soon  dozed  off  to  sleep. 

I  may  say  here,  what  I  learned  afterwards,  that  I 
had  been  unconscious  for  nearly  four  days.  The  bad 


I  GO   TO  JERUSALEM.  147 

weather  had  come  and  gone ;  we  had  returned  to  our 
anchorage  off  Jaffa,  received  our  people  on  their  return 
from  their  trip,  and  were  off  once  more  to  the  west- 
ward. I  had  had  a  serious  concussion  of  the  brain,  as 
the  doctors  called  it,  and  had  broken  my  collar-bone 
and  arm ;  indeed,  I  had  been  taken  up  for  dead. 

The  morning  following  the  night  on  which  I  had 
recognized  the  doctor  I  was  waked  at  four  o'clock  by 
the  calling  of  the  watch.  "All  the  starboard  watch  ! 
Show  a  leg  there !  starboard  watch  !"  Yawns,  grunts, 
and  curses  were  heard  on  all  sides,  and  then  the  watch 
below  hopped  out  of  their  hammocks,  and,  drawing 
boots  and  pea-jacket  from  the  head-nettles  (the  sailor's 
wardrobe),  began  scuffling  up  the  ladders  to  the  spar- 
deck.  A  few  moments  afterwards  the  whistle  of  the 
boatswain's  mate  gives  a  long-drawn  pipe,  and  he  calls, 
"  All  the  watch  to  muster !  Go  below  the  port  watch !" 

Then  there  is  a  pattering  down  the  ladders,  a  hur- 
ried kicking  off  of  shoes  and  shedding  of  pea-jackets, 
and  the  relieved  watch  are  snoring  in  a  marvellously 
short  time.  In  the  mean  time  the  midshipman  of  the 
watch,  whose  sharp  voice  I  recognize,  is  going  on  with 
the  muster  on  deck,  thus :  "  Ninety-three !"  answered 
by,  "  Jones,  sir !"  "  Ninety-five !"  "  Thompson,  sir !" 
"  Ninety-seven  !"  "  Sick,  sir !"  Ninety-seven  was  my 
number. 

The  muster  over,  some  pulls  were  had  at  the  braces, 
and  then  the  watch  settled  down  in  groups,  to  sleep  till 
daylight.  When  that  began  to  steal  down  the  hatch 
near  me,  the  business  of  the  morning  watch  began. 

The  officer  of  the  deck  suddenly  sang  out,  "  Relieve 
the  lookouts !  Man  the  mast-head !  Boatswain's 


148  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

mate!  get  up  holy-stones  and  sand.  Watch,  mend 
sail !  Lead  out  and  man  the  top-sail  halyards  !"  Then 
came  the  clatter  of  the  big  snatch-blocks,  as  they  were 
hooked.  "  Swig  up  !  Belay  the  top-sail  halyards ! 
To'-gallant  sheets  and  halyards !  Fore  and  main  tacks ! 
Lay  up  the  rigging  about  the  decks  !  Rig  the  pumps  ! 
Go  on  with  the  decks !" 

Soon  a  grating  and  grinding  and  splashing  and 
bumping  begins,  apparently  about  a  foot  above  one's 
nose  as  he  lies  below.  These  were  the  holy-stones  at 
work. 

The  pumps  groaned  and  creaked,  buckets  of  water 
were  "scooted"  along  the  wet  deck  and  the  contents 
dashed  about,  the  buckets  themselves  coming  down 
with  a  hollow  clap  as  they  were  dropped. 

At  last  the  holy-stoning  is  done,  and  squilgees  come 
into  use,  the  deck  being  squeezed  and  scraped  dry  with 
them,  while  the  captain  of  the  afterguard,  mast-man, 
and  quarter-gunners  swear  freely,  as  is  their  wont,  by 
way  of  assisting  the  operation. 

Thus  the  day  is  ushered  in  on  board  a  man-of-war. 
At  seven  bells  another  long-drawn  pipe  is  heard,  and 
the  call  of  "  Up  all  hammocks  !"  Then  the  master-at- 
arms  and  ship's  corporal  pervade  the  berth-deck  with 
"  Bear  a  hand,  now,  and  clear  this  deck  !  Show  a  leg, 
everybody  I" 

"Everybody,"  including  the  idlers,  or  those  who 
keep  no  night-watch,  as  well  as  the  watch  which  "turned 
in"  at  four  o'clock,  now  turn  out,  lash  hammocks,  and 
carry  them  on  deck  to  be  stowed  in  the  nettings. 

The  master-at-arms  and  his  assistants,  the  ship's 
corporals,  again  begin  to  be  heard,  and  under  their 


I  GO    TO  JERUSALEM.  149 

directions  the  berth-deck  cooks  sweep  and  tidy  up  the 
deck. 

Eight  o'clock  comes  round,  and  then  they  pipe  to 
breakfast  and  roll  to  grog.  The  mess-tins  clatter 
briskly,  and  strong  steams  of  "  scouse"  and  coffee  have 
come  from  the  galley  for  some  time.  Nine  o'clock, 
"  All  hands !"  once  more,  and  then,  "  Clean  bright- 
work,  small  arms,  and  great  gun-locks  for  inspection." 

At  nine  o'clock,  too,  a  peculiar  air  upon  the  drum 
and  fife,  and  the  tinkle  of  a  hand-bell  in  the  sick-bay, 
announce  "  sick-call,"  and  that  the  medical  officers  are 
ready  to  see  the  "  sick,  lame,  and  lazy,"  as  Jack  puts  it. 

I  had  plenty  of  opportunity  to  see  the  humors  of 
"  sick-call"  during  the  time  I  lay  in  that  cot  swathed 
in  bandages  and  splints. 

About  a  dozen  men  usually  appeared  in  a  sloop-of- 
war  like  ours  when  there  was  no  epidemic  on  board. 
Of  these,  perhaps  three  would  be  sufficiently  ill  to  be 
allowed  their  hammocks  or  cots. 

The  sick  in  the  cots  are  first  visited  and  prescribed 
for  by  the  surgeon,  attended  by  his  assistant.  The  re- 
marks on  their  cases  are  entered  in  the  journal,  and 
their  diet  and  treatment  for  the  day  settled. 

Then  the  steward,  standing  by  the  doctor's  table,  calls 
out  the  name  of  each  man  already  on  the  list  in  turn. 
Cut  hands,  sprains,  boils,  sore  eyes,  and  other  obvious 
ailments  are  prescribed  for. 

Towards  the  bottom  of  the  list  always  come  one  or 
two  whose  claims  as  invalids  are  not  so  obvious. 

"  Samuel  Smith,  ordinary  seaman  !"  "  Now,  Smith, 
come  here !  How  are  you  to-day  ?"  "  Well,  sir,  the 
rhumatiz  is  powerful  bad ;  I  hain't  slept  none  for  two 

13* 


150  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

nights,  and  nothing  won't  set  onto  my  stomach." 
"  Hum !  ha !  can't  eat?  Let  me  see  your  tongue.  Why, 
your  mouth  is  full  of  tobacco!  Pulse  good,  too! 
Smith,  you  had  better  go  to  duty.  Take  Smith's  name 
off  the  list." 

"Next!"  "Ah,  Butler!  how  is  that  pain  in  the 
head?  No  better!  I'm  surprised  at  that  after  the 
medicine  you  have  had.  Well,  I'll  just  order  you  an 
ounce  and  a  half  of  oil  (and  see  that  he  takes  it  now, 
steward),  and  if  he  is  not  better  at  sundown,  put  a  large 
blister  on  the  back  of  his  neck.  Stop  his  ration  and 
let  him  have  a  pint  of  thin  arrow-root.  You  must  be 
taken  care  of,  Butler,  or  you'll  really  be  ill."  At  the 
next  sick-call  Butler  reports  himself  well.  Smith  and 
Butler  are  known  to  every  one  as  notorious  skulks. 

"  Any  one  else  ?"  "  Ah,  O'Kelley !  so  that '  wakenass' 
is  no  better?  Let  me  see;  pulse,  tongue,  all  right. 
Has  he  had  his  tonic,  steward  ?  Yes !  Now,  O'Kel- 
ley, I  want  you  to  stand  by  to  get  well,  and  go  off 
the  list  to-morrow  morning.  That  will  give  you  time 
to  finish  the  trousers  you  began  yesterday."  And 
so  it  goes  on.  The  sick-list  is  made,  signed,  and  de- 
spatched to  the  captain.  The  binnacle-list,  of  names 
alone  without  diseases,  is  sent  to  the  binnacle.  The 
surgeon  disappears  into  the  ward-room,  and  the  assistant 
superintends  the  dressing  and  the  dispensing  of  medi- 
cines, and  writes  up  his  medical  journal. 

In  those  days  the  assistant  surgeon  had  another 
duty,  now  dispensed  with.  Formerly  the  "coppers," 
or  boilers  in  the  galley,  were  really  of  copper, — now 
they  are  of  iron.  Of  course  it  was  very  necessary  to  have 
these  coppers  kept  scrupulously  clean.  So  every  day 


/  GO   TO  JERUSALEM. 

at  seven  bells,  after  dinner  was  served  out,  the  ship's 
cook  and  his  mate  got  to  work  with  sand  and  canvas, 
and  a  rare  polishing  those  coppers  got  from  their 
brawny  arms. 

At  one  bell  precisely  the  ship's  cook  reported  to  the 
assistant  surgeon,  "  Coppers  ready  for  inspection,  sir." 
The  doctor,  with  great  gravity,  proceeded  to  the  galley, 
mounted  a  bench,  and  was  handed  some  pieces  of  white 
paper.  These  he  rubbed  round  the  interior  of  the  cop- 
pers. If  no  dirt  appeared,  all  was  well ;  if  it  appeared 
too  often,  the  fact  was  reported,  and  the  cook's  grog 
was  stopped. 

Soon  after  nine  o'clock  the  drum  beats  to  quarters 
for  inspection.  The  division  officers  inspect  the  bat- 
tery, small  arms,  and  handspikes,  and  see  that  the  men 
are  clean  and  properly  dressed,  according  to  the  orders 
for  the  day.  These  were  promulgated  at  breakfast- 
time,  the  master-at-arms  being  provided  with  several 
boards,  on  each  of  which  was  painted  a  sailor,  either  in 
all  blue  clothes,  with  a  cap,  or  blue  frock  and  white 
trousers  and  straw  hat,  or  all  in  white. 

According  to  orders,  one  of  these  boards  was  hung 
in  the  main-hatch,  and  the  crew  "  shifted'*'  themselves 
accordingly,  after  the  "  word  was  passed." 

In  my  early  days  the  word  was  passed,  "  Do  you 
hear  there,  fore  and  aft?  Turn  to  and  clean  your- 
selves." But  the  march  of  refinement  has  reached  even 
Jack ;  so  now  they  say  "  dress  yourselves." 

After  quarters,  drill  at  great  guns  or  small  arms 
went  on  on  the  spar-deck,  while  the  master-at-arms 
and  the  berth-deck  cooks  had  the  lower  deck  to  them- 
selves,— sweeping  and  scouring  and  swearing  freely, — 


152  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

while  I,  and  the  rest  of  the  sick  who  were  unable  to 
crawl  on  deck  and  sun  themselves  in  odd  corners,  were 
triced  up  in  our  cots  and  hammocks,  with  the  noise 
and  confusion  going  on  around  and  below  us. 

Oh,  the  misery  of  a  really  sick  man  on  the  berth- 
deck  of  a  man-of-war !  With  a  head  splitting  with 
fever,  the  most  maddening  noises  are  going  on  all  day. 
Careless  men  run  against  the  cot  or  hammock,  sending 
a  thrill  through  every  nerve.  This  is  not  often  done 
on  purpose,  to  be  sure ;  but  few  think  of  the  sick  man 
longer  than  while  they  see  him,  and  forget  the  next 
moment  to  moderate  their  voices.  Some  even  envy 
him  !  He  is  "  into  the  list,  and  has  no  mid-watch  on 
deck  to  keep." 

In  cases  of  serious  illness  the  officers  are  often  very 
kind.  Frequently  the  bells  are  not  struck,  or  the 
firing  of  the  morning  and  evening  guns  dispensed  with, 
while  the  sick  man's  life  hangs  in  doubt, — but,  at  the 
best,  a  noise  goes  on  which  would  be  considered  un- 
bearable anywhere  else. 

During  the  first  day,  after  I  had  recovered  my  senses, 
the  captain  came  down  to  see  me ;  said  he  was  very 
sorry  for  my  mishap;  I  had  been  a  good  coxswain, 
and  he  hoped  I  would  be  in  the  gig  again  before 
long. 

The  doctors  were  very  kind  and  took  much  interest 
in  my  case.  Many  a  nice  little  dish  came  out  of  the 
ward-room  to  tempt  my  appetite,  but  somehow  I  did 
not  get  well  very  fast. 

My  bones  knit  well  enough,  and  by  the  time  we  got 
back  to  Spezia  I  could  get  on  deck  ;  but  I  was  always 
weak  and  dizzy,  and  could  not  look  aloft. 


/  GO   TO  JERUSALEM.  153 

The  squadron  was  collected  in  Spezia,  and  a  store- 
ship  was  about  to  sail  for  home  after  discharging. 

Orders  were  sent  round  for  the  surgeons  of  the  dif- 
ferent ships  to  ask  for  "surveys"  on  those  men  who  in 
their  opinion  should  be  sent  home,  either  for  hospital 
treatment  or  for  discharge. 

The  steward  told  me  my  name  was  included  in  the 
list  sent  from  our  ship.  I  did  not  much  care  what  was 
done  with  me.  I  felt  that  I  was  useless,  and  likely  to 
be  so  for  some  time  to  come,  and  a  ship  was  no  place 
for  a  man  in  my  condition. 

One  day  a  boat  arrived  alongside  with  "  the  survey." 
This  consisted  of  the  surgeons  of  two  of  the  other  men- 
of-war  and  of  the  store-ship.  Four  of  us  were  "con- 
demned" and  recommended  to  be  sent  home.  One  was 
the  poor  fellow  who  had  had  his  hand  blown  off  in 
firing  a  salute,  and  who  was  recommended  for  discharge 
with  a  pension.  A  marine  far  gone  in  consumption ;  a 
man  who  had  had  his  eyes  put  out  by  the  upsetting  of 
a  barrel  of  lime  on  his  head  as  he  was  getting  it  out 
of  the  hold ;  and  myself,  made  up  the  number  to  be 
sent  to  hospital. 

Two  of  the  doctors,  a  very  short,  fat  one,  and  a  very 
tall,  lean  one,  had  a  lively  discussion  over  my  case  and 
about  the  probable  condition  of  my  brain.  As  far  as 
I  could  make  out  they  differed  entirely,  and  only  agreed 
on  one  point,  that  I  ought  to  have  died.  As  they  got 
to  very  sharp  words  over  me,  they  were  called  to  order 
by  the  senior  member  of  the  board,  and  then  the  survey 
was  over  and  the  members  withdrew  to  the  ward-room. 
I  saw  them  through  the  open  door  discussing  the  merits 
of  anchovy  paste,  biscuits,  and  claret  for  a  considerable 


154  THIRTY   TEARS  AT  SEA. 

time,  after  which  they  made  out  their  report  and  left 
the  ship. 

Two  or  three  days  after  we  were  transferred  to  the 
store-ship  for  a  passage  home.  I  was  truly  sorry  to 
part  from  Kemp,  but  such  partings  are  common  enough 
among  sailors.  I  did  not  see  him  again  for  years,  and 
when  I  did  it  was  to  see  the  last  of  the  poor  old  fellow. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

T   AM   INVALIDED   HOME,  GET   WELL,  AND   JOIN  THE 
MERCHANT  SERVICE. 

THE  store-ship  had  been  a  sloop-of-war,  and  we  had 
plenty  of  room  and  to  spare,  for  her  crew  did  not  num- 
ber above  forty,  and  her  'tween  decks  was  almost 
entirely  empty. 

Her  commander  was  an  old  copper-nosed  lieutenant, 
much  given  to  his  cups,  but  a  thorough  sailor.  I  heard 
the  story  told  of  him  that  he  was  once  induced  to  read 
the  "Arabian  Nights"  to  while  away  time  on  a  long 
passage,  and  that  he  returned  it  to  the  lender  with  the 
remark  that  "  he  didn't  believe  half  the  yarns  in  that 
book."  It  was  also  said  that  he  once  landed  from  his 
vessel  in  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and  being  caterer  of 
the  mess,  his  attention  was  at  once  attracted  to  a  fine 
young  porker,  which  he  bought  and  sent  back  by  the 
boat,  with  the  following  note  to  the  officer  of  the  deck, 
"Dear  Joe,  please  receive  on  board  the  above  pig. 
Yours,  Sam." 

In  fact,  there  was  no  end  to  the  stories  told  about 
him,  and  he  was  well  known  throughout  the  service. 
When  the  retired  list  was  authorized  a  few  years  later, 
he  was  one  of  the  first  to  be  placed  upon  it,  as  his  in- 
temperate habits  became  more  and  more  confirmed. 
We  had  as  officers  four  passed  midshipmen,  who  kept 
the  watches,  a  surgeon  and  a  purser. 

155 


156  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

There  were  about  thirty  invalids  from  the  squadron, 
so  that  with  cooks  and  servants  we  numbered  about 
ninety  souls.  The  ship  was  in  ballast,  a  very  dull 
sailor,  but  "stiff  as  a  church." 

It  was  a  winter  passage  we  were  making,  and  in 
crossing  the  Gulf  of  Lyons  we  had  a  northwester, 
which  blew  in  the  venomous  way  which  winter  gales 
do  in  those  parts.  They  come  from  the  Bay  of  Biscay, 
over  the  flat  country  north  of  the  Pyrenees,  and  seem 
to  gain  fresh  strength  and  vehemence  from  coming  over 
French  soil,  charging  on  any  unfortunate  vessel  they 
may  meet  like  a  battalion  of  drunken  zouaves. 

We  drifted,  hove  to,  past  Mahon,  and  well  over  to- 
ward the  coast  of  Algiers  before  this  gale  abated.  The 
wind  then  hauled  to  the  eastward  and  blew  a  Levanter, 
before  which  we  bowled  out  of  the  straits  in  fine  style. 

We  took  the  middle  passage,  and  jogged  along  under 
easy  sail,  with  good  weather,  until  across  the  Gulf 
Stream,  when  we  had  heavy  northwesters ;  were  blown 
off  twice,  and  had  several  men  badly  frost-bitten. 
During  the  passage  my  head  got  better,  and  I  was  en- 
abled to  employ  my  leisure  in  reading,  so  I  was  in  no 
haste  to  get  in. 

Our  old  skipper  was  not  anxious  to  get  home  either. 
He  knew  that  he  would  be  relieved  from  his  command, 
and  he  did  not  carry  sail  very  hard  to  meet  his  orders. 

He  and  the  purser,  I  was  told,  played  "  all-fours" 
and  drank  hot  whiskey-toddy  all  day  and  far  into  the 
night.  In  bad  weather,  when  he  was  obliged  to  come 
on  deck  to  look  out  for  the  ship,  his  steward  would 
bring  him,  at  frequent  intervals,  his  "  medicine,"  which 
had  a  piece  of  lemon-peel  floating  on  the  top,  and  gave 


/  JOIN  THE  MERCHANT  SERVICE.  157 

out  an  aroma  of  "  old  rye,"  as  it  steamed  in  the  frosty 
air  of  the  North  Atlantic. 

He  was  one  of  a  class  now  passed  away,  and  while 
his  most  intimate  friends  had  never  seen  him  entirely 
sober,  no  one  had  ever  seen  him  "off  his  pins,"  or  so 
that  he  could  not  lay  a  top-sail  yard  handsomely  for 
taking  the  second  reef. 

At  last  we  got  into  New  York  on  New  Year's  day, 
ninety  days  from  Spezia.  A  steam-tug  came  under 
our  port-quarter,  made  fast  to  us,  and  wheezed  and 
snorted  and  puffed,  and  tugged  through  the  floating 
ice  in  the  East  River,  until  she  anchored  us  in  the 
Wallabout. 

In  the  afternoon  two  launches  came  off  from  the 
navy-yard,  and  all  the  sick  were  mustered  to  be 
transferred  to  the  hospital.  This  was  a  large  white 
building,  about  a  mile  off,  over  in  Williamsburg,  and 
placed  conspicuously  on  a  hill. 

Two  or  three  of  the  invalids  were  too  ill  to  leave 
their  cots,  and  were  taken  over  the  side,  and  deposited 
in  the  stern-sheets  of  one  of  the  launches,  by  means  of 
a  whip  from  the  main-yard.  Those  who  could  walk 
went  down  the  ladder  into  the  same  boat,  filling  her 
completely. 

In  the  stern-sheets  of  the  other  launch  our  bags  and 
hammocks  were  piled,  and  she  then  took  us  in  tow, 
with  the  doctor  in  charge  of  us,  cocked  up  on  top 
of  the  pile  of  bags  and  hammocks,  with  a  large  pack- 
age of  "  sick  tickets"  in  his  hand,  which  he  used  like 
a  marshal's  staff  in  directing  our  course.  The  boats 
went  along  the  cob-dock,  in  the  Wallabout,  and  then 
into  a  little  creek  which  ran  up  into  the  hospital 

14 


158  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

grounds.  There  we  landed,  and  piling  our  bags  and 
hammocks  on  a  car,  pushed  it  up  the  hill  to  the  hos- 
pital. The  sick  men  in  the  cots  were  carried  up  by  the 
crew  of  the  launch. 

The  change  to  the  clean,  warm,  quiet,  orderly  wards 
of  the  hospital  did  wonders  for  most  of  us.  But  the 
poor  marine  from  our  ship,  who  had  consumption,  did 
not  long  survive  his  change  of  quarters. 

He  was  in  the  same  ward  with  myself,  and  one 
night  a  movement  and  bustle  waked  me,  when  I  saw 
screens  drawn  round  his  bed.  A  priest  presently  came 
in,  and  went  behind  the  screens ;  and  after  he  went 
away  the  doctor  came,  with  the  night-nurse,  and  re- 
mained a  while.  As  he  went  out  of  the  ward  again  I 
heard  him  say  to  the  nurse,  "  Let  him  remain  a  while, 
but  be  sure  to  get  him  into  the  dead-house  before  day- 
light." The  other  two  men,  from  the  M ,  were 

discharged  the  service,  with  pensions.  As  for  myself, 
I  improved  steadily;  and,  as  it  was  found  I  could 
write  a  good  hand,  I  was  set  to  work  copying  case- 
papers,  registers  of  patients,  and  bills,  which  occupied 
me  for  three  or  four  hours  each  day.  I  had  the  privi- 
lege of  sitting  in  the  office  where  I  wrote,  and  I  read  a 
great  deal  of  history  and  travels  from  the  books  in 
the  hospital  library.  Indeed,  I  never  had  an  idea  I 
could  be  so  happy  and  contented  in  a  hospital, — a 
place  I  had  always  had  a  horror  of,  in  common  with 
most  people. 

After  several  months  I  was  considered  well  enough 
to  be  discharged,  and  I  began  to  turn  over  what  I  was 
to  do  next.  The  owners  of  the  Mary  had  paid  me 
some  balance  of  wages  due  me,  and  I  had  nearly  two 


/  JOIN  THE  MERCHANT  SERVICE.  159 

hundred  dollars  of  pay  from  the  navy  due  me  on  dis- 
charge. 

I  had  had  a  day's  leave,  now  and  then,  from  the 
surgeon  in  charge  of  the  hospital,  and  had  been  several 
times  to  the  counting-house  of  the  Mary's  owners  to 
see  if  there  was  a  chance  of  any  employment  for  me ; 
for  I  did  not  want  to  ship  in  the  service  again  if  there 
was  a  prospect  of  becoming  an  officer  in  the  merchant 
service. 

The  firm  owned  a  great  many  ships, — a  regular  line 
to  Liverpool,  and  one  to  Manilla  and  China,  and  they 
had  also  some  vessels  in  the  Brazil  trade. 

One  day  I  saw  the  junior  partner,  a  fine  young 
gentleman,  named  Archer ;  and  when  he  heard  my 
story,  he  told  me  to  try  to  hurry  my  discharge,  and 
he  would  do  something  for  me.  I  spoke  to  the  doctor 
at  the  hospital,  and  he  wrote  at  once  to  Washington, 
and  got  my  discharge,  although  he  was  kind  enough 
to  say  that  he  hated  to  do  it,  as  he  would  miss  my 
services. 

Giving  away,  to  those  who  needed  them  most,  some 
of  the  man-of-war  clothing  and  other  traps  which.  I 
had  in  my  bag,  I  went  down  to  the  receiving-ship  at 
the  navy-yard,  was  paid  off,  and  received  my  discharge 
from  the  service. 

Going  to  the  sailor  landlord  with  whom  I  had 
boarded,  in  Cherry  Street,  before  shipping  in  the 
Mary,  I  got  my  discharge  from  my  first  ship,  which 
I  had  left  with  him.  I  then  took  a  hundred  dollars 
of  my  money  and  put  it  in  a  savings-bank,  in  Fulton 
Street, — the  officer  of  the  bank  also  taking  charge  of 
my  two  discharges. 


160  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

Taking  board  in  a  plain,  respectable  house,  to  which 
I  had  been  recommended,  I  got  myself  a  substantial 
outfit  of  clothes,  suited  for  a  mate,  and  a  good  chest, 
with  a  sextant,  Bowditch's  "  Epitome,"  and  one  or  two 
other  necessary  books. 

By  the  time  these  preparations  were  completed  Mr. 
Archer  sent  for  me,  to  say  that  I  could  have  a  berth  as 
third  officer  of  the  Amazon  of  their  Liverpool  line.  The 
ship  had  just  discharged  her  inward  cargo  near  Peck 
slip,  and  was  ready  to  receive  her  outward  lading.  I  went 
down  there  next  morning  and  found  a  fine  ship  of  nearly 
twelve  hundred  tons,  very  taunt  and  wholesome-look- 
ing, and  sufficiently  sharp,  though  nothing  of  a  clipper. 

The  chief  mate  had  just  come  on  board,  apparently 
from  a  night's  "  lark"  on  shore,  for  he  was  relating  to 
the  second  mate,  between  the  sips  of  a  cup  of  hot  coffee, 
which  had  been  placed  on  the  drum  of  the  after-capstan 
for  him  by  the  steward,  some  most  surprising  adven- 
tures, the  relation  being  garnished  by  many  strange 
oaths  and  expletives. 

These  two  mates  were  both  "  down-Easters,"  the  first 
being  a  Cape  Cod  man,  and  the  second  from  Maine. 
They  were  both  thorough  seamen,  but  had  only  sailed 
the  North  Atlantic,  one  of  the  roughest  of  nautical 
schools,  not  only  on  account  of  the  bad  weather  en- 
countered, but  also  by  reason  of  the  character  of  the 
men  composing  the  crews,  especially  of  ships  trading 
to  Liverpool. 

As  soon  as  he  spied  me  coming  over  the  gangway, 
the  first  mate  sang  out,  "Now,  then,  what  is  it?" 

I  said  I  had  a  note  for  Captain  D ,  and  that  I 

was  to  be  shipped  as  third  mate. 


/  JOIN  THE  MERCHANT  SERVICE. 

"  The you  are !  Blessed  if  I  didn't  think  you 

had  come  to  ship  as  chaplain  I" 

This  was  an  allusion  to  a  nice  suit  of  dark  clothes 
and  a  high  hat  which  I  had  mounted,  the  first  I  had 
ever  had  in  my  life. 

Having  fired  off  this  nautical  joke,  however,  he  was 
civil  enough  in  his  way,  and  talked  to  me  at  intervals 
while  attending  to  the  business  of  the  ship,  until  half- 
past  ten,  when  the  captain  arrived. 

Captain  D was  a  New-Yorker,  belonging  to 

quite  an  influential  family, — large  ship-owners, — and 
had  been  brought  up  in  the  line  in  which  he  now  com- 
manded the  Amazon.  Although  about  forty  years  of 
age,  he  had  never  made  any  other  voyage  than  that 
from  New  York  to  Liverpool. 

He  was  a  very  dressy  man,  a  bachelor,  and  lived, 
while  his  ship  was  in  port,  at  the  best  hotels,  and  had 
his  dinner  on  board  ship  at  six  o'clock,  while  the  mates 
had  theirs  in  the  forward  cabin  at  one.  As  far  as  I 
could  see,  he  never  did  anything  but  navigate  and  play 
the  agreeable  to  the  cabin  passengers.  He  had  the 
reputation  of  being  a  bold  and  successful  seaman,  how- 
ever, and  was  in  high  favor  with  the  underwriters. 

When  I  presented  myself  he  looked  me  all  over, 
took  the  note  I  brought,  but  said,  without  opening  it, 
"  I  have  heard  all  about  you,  and  only  want  to  say 
that  I  expect  my  officers  to  be  smart  and  driving,  and 
to  stand  no  nonsense  from  the  men.  Bring  your  traps 
on  board  to-day  and  turn  to." 

This  was  the  longest  speech  the  captain  ever  vouch- 
safed me  while  I  was  in  the  Amazon.  In  fact,  Captain 

D was  much  more  high  and  mighty  than  the 

14* 


THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

naval  officers  with  whom  I  had  sailed,  but  he  had  a 
much  more  difficult  class  of  people  to  deal  with,  and 
could  not  afford  to  abate  a  jot  of  his  importance. 

We  now  had  the  cargo  coming  alongside  rapidly, 
and  the  stevedores  were  at  work  stowing  it,  while  a 
gang  of  riggers  were  at  work  aloft.  The  cabin  was 
being  renovated,  'a  gentleman  having  engaged  it  for 
his  family,  preferring  us  to  a  steamer,  as  the  longer 
voyage  was  recommended  for  his  wife's  health. 

At  last  we  got  rid  of  all  these  people,  and  when  we 
hauled  out  from  the  slip  and  were  towed  to  an  anchor- 
age in  the  bay,  the  mates  and  ship-keepers  were  in 
charge. 

The  morning  was  wet,  with  a  moderate  southeast 
wind,  and,  about  nine  o'clock,  a  tug  came  alongside, 
bringing  the  shipping-master  and  the  crew  shipped  for 
us  "  by  the  run." 

Shipping  by  the  run  means  to  come  on  board  a  ship 
ready  for  sea,  and  navigate  her  from  port  to  port, — say 
from  New  York  to  Liverpool, — leaving  her  as  soon  as 
she  enters  the  dock.  For  this  a  fixed  sum  is  paid  in 
advance. 

A  certain  class  of  seamen  habitually  made  this  voyage; 
and  a  most  wretched  set  they  were,  generally  speaking : 
drunken,  turbulent,  diseased,  and  short-lived. 

They  seldom  saw  any  of  their  wages.  In  debt  to 
the  boarding-house  keeper  and  shipping-master,  these 
worthies  contracted  with  owners  and  captains  for  their 
services,  and  placed  them  on  board  ship  (drunk  or 
drugged,  if  necessary)  with  as  little  to  say  as  to  their 
destination  as  any  gang  of  slaves  ever  had.  They  then 
received  the  "  advance"  due  the  seamen,  which  was  sup- 


/  JOIN  THE  MERCHANT  SERVICE.  163 

posed  to  reimburse  them  for  board,  liquor,  clothing,  and 
money  supplied  during  their  stay  in  port.  Arrived  in 
the  docks,  at  Liverpool,  the  crew  tumble  on  shore,  and 
at  once  make  their  way  to  the  wretched  slums  and 
cellars,  where  they  keep  up  an  orgie  until  wanted  by 
the  shipping-agents,  when  they  are  again  herded  and 
put  on  board  an  outward-bound  ship. 

Frequently  they  wake  from  a  stupor  to  find  them- 
selves at  sea,  and  have  to  inquire  the  name  and  desti- 
nation of  the  vessel. 

It  is  no  wonder  that  such  crews  bore  a  bad  name, 
and  that  so  many  desperate  and  abandoned  men  were 
found  among  them. 

There  were  thirty-two  men  brought  off  to  us,  and  a 
boatswain  and  carpenter. 

These  were,  as  I  have  said,  a  most  wretched-looking 
lot,  although  most  of  them  were  prime  seamen.  Few 
had  much  more  clothing  than  that  which  they  stood  in. 
Some  had  on  two  or  three  woollen  shirts, — or  a  thick 
Jersey,  with  a  red  shirt  over  it, — and  none  looking  as 
if  they  were  ever  washed.  Some  had  sea-boots,  slung 
together  with  rope-yarn,  and  hung  round  their  necks. 
These  contained  one  or  two  pairs  of  yarn  socks, — per- 
haps a  woollen  muffler, — and,  very  often,  a  "  skin"  of 
vile  rum,  like  a  limp  wet  sausage,  to  "taper  off"  on. 
All  had  the  sheath-knife  and  belt,  and  a  few  had  pea- 
jackets,  or  oil-skin  storm-coats.  There  were  also  a  few 
of  these  coats  left  in  the  forecastle, — greasy,  mouldy, 
tarry,  and  ragged, — the  cast-offs  of  former  voyages, 
which  were  afterwards  shifted  from  watch  to  watch 
during  the  passage. 

The  forecastle  of  the  Amazon  was  of  the  old  style, — a 


164  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

horrible  hole  in  the  very  eyes  ol  the  ship,  leaky,  dirty, 
and  foul-smelling. 

Bunks,  in  tiers,  ran  round  it,  containing  cat-tail  beds, 
and  blankets  of  all  degrees  of  raggedness  and  dirt.  A 
smoky  lantern  burned  night  and  day  in  this  place,  and 
the  only  entrance  (which  served  for  light  and  ventila- 
tion also)  was  a  small  companion-hatch. 

There  being  no  prospect  of  getting  to  sea  that  day, 
the  crew,  stupid  and  sodden,  were  allowed  to  go  below 
to  sleep  off  the  effects  of  their  prolonged  debauch. 

The  chief  mate  remarked  to  me  as  they  filed  down 

into  the  forecastle,  "  Well ! my  eyes  and  limbs !  if 

ever  I  saw  a  rummier  set!  I  hope  you've  got  your 
brass  '  knucks,'  for  you'll  want  'em  with  this  crowd, 
now  mind  I  tell  you  !" 

The  next  morning  there  was  a  prospect  of  the  east- 
erly weather  breaking  up,  so,  after  an  early  breakfast, 
the  crew  was  mustered,  and  the  first  and  second  mates 
chose  the  watches;  each  one  in  turn  picking  out  a  man 
till  all  were  taken.  The  two  left  until  the  last  were 
particularly  hard-looking  cases,  and  the  mates  tossed 
up  for  them. 

One  of  them  seemed  to  have  had  some  disease  which 
had  taken  most  of  his  hair  off  and  scarred  and  seamed 
his  face,  and  bound  his  eyes  with  red,  while  his  knees 
were  stiff  and  bent,  and  his  fingers  were  crooked  and 
skinny,  for  all  the  world  like  some  carrion  bird.  This 
poor  creature  was  at  once  nicknamed  "Buzzard"  by 
the  rest,  who  did  not  seem  to  know  him. 

The  other  was  a  country-looking  fellow  of  about 
thirty,  who  stoutly  asserted  that  he  was  not  a  sailor, 
had  never  been  to  sea,  but  had  come  to  New  York  to 


I  JOIN  THE  MERCHANT  SERVICE.  165 

look  for  work  at  his  trade,  shoemaking ;  had  been  in- 
duced to  drink,  drugged,  and  put  on  board  ship  as  a 
seaman.  This  is  "  shanghai"-ing. 

Even  if  any  one  wished  to  put  the  poor  man  on 
shore  there  was  no  time  to  do  so.  In  fact,  not  much 
attention  was  paid  to  him  or  his  lamentations,  except 
that  the  chief  mate  threatened  to  "  knock  his  head  off 
if  he  followed  him  round  the  decks  with  his  yarns." 

The  wind  soon  came  out  northwest.  A  tug  came 
off  with  the  captain  and  his  cabin  passengers,  and  as 
the  tide  served,  we  at  once  hove  up  our  anchor  and 
made  sail  without  a  tow. 

The  cold,  sharp  northwester  made  the  men  who  were 
hardly  over  their  spree  shiver  and  creep  in  their  scanty 
clothing. 

I  took  an  opportunity  to  ask  the  second  mate  if  they 
ever  gave  the  men  a  pot  of  hot  coffee  or  a  nip  of  grog 
under  such  circumstances.  He  looked  at  me  as  if  I 

had  lost  my  senses,  and  said,  "  No !  'em !  this 

makes  'em  jump.  That's  some  of  your  man-o'-war  or 
Ingy  v'yage  notions." 

We  went  rushing  down  the  lower  bay  and  past  the 
bar  and  Sandy  Hook  in  fine  style,  the  captain  begrudg- 
ing the  time  it  took  to  heave  to,  off  the  light-ship,  to 
discharge  the  pilot. 

That  night  one  of  the  crew  who  had  been  unable  to 
leave  his  bunk  since  he  came  on  board,  and  who  was 
declared  by  the  mate  to  have  "  a  bad  case  of  horrors," 
rushed  on  deck  during  the  middle  watch,  while  I  had 
charge,  shrieking  that  the  forecastle  was  full  of  snakes, 
and  jumped  overboard. 

We  were  going  at  least  ten  knots,  and  a  considerable 


166  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

time  elapsed  before  I  could  shorten  sail  and  bring  the 
ship  to  the  wind,  the  bearings  of  the  man  being  in  the 
mean  time  lost.  The  captain  was  promptly  on  deck, 
and  hearing  what  was  the  matter,  said,  in  a  very  dis- 
gusted tone,  "  I  thought  you  were  afoul  of  some  inward- 
bound  ship.  There  is  no  use  looking  for  that  poor 
devil  now.  Keep  the  ship  her  course,  and  make  sail 
again,  sir." 

Two  lines  in  the  log-book  next  day  was  the  epitaph 
of  this  sailor,  who  may  have  had  an  old  mother  some- 
where waiting  for  her  prodigal  to  come  home  again. 

We  carried  the  nor'wester  away  over  to  the  Banks 
of  Newfoundland.  There  was  little  to  do  in  making 
or  shortening  sail,  and  the  men  were  kept  at  work 
about  the  decks  and  in  the  rigging,  fitting  "Scotchmen" 
and  chafing-gear,  making  sword-mats,  picking  oakum, 
and  keeping  the  spun-yarn  winch  going. 

When  this  work  began  to  grow  slack  the  pin-rails 
were  all  scraped,  as  well  as  the  iron  belaying-pins. 
The  men  were  never  allowed  a  moment's  rest  when  on 
deck,  the  old  sea-rhyme  holding  good  in  this  ship, — 
"  Six  days  shalt  thou  work  and  do  all  that  thou  art 
able;  the  seventh  thou  shalt  scrub  deck  and  scrape 
cable." 

Poor  "  Buzzard"  and  the  "  Cobbler"  had  an  especi- 
ally hard  time.  The  former  was  really  not  able  to 
work,  but  the  chief  mate  kept  him  moving,  declaring 
that  he  would  have  no  "  skulks"  in  that  ship.  Several 
times  he  was  kicked  or  struck  and  knocked  down ;  but 
the  poor  wretch  seemed  thoroughly  broken  and  cowed, 
and  would  pick  himself  up  without  a  word,  putting 
his  hand  up  to  his  poor  scarred  nose,  and  looking  at 


I  JOIN  THE  MERCHANT  SERVICE.  167 

the  blood  which  came  from  it  in  a  stupid,  helpless 
way. 

The  "  Cobbler"  had  been  early  ordered  aloft  by  the 
mate,  who  swore  that  he  came  on  board  as  a  seaman, 
and  should  do  a  seaman's  work.  He  was  dreadfully 
seasick,  but  was  started  into  the  main-rigging  by  half 
a  dozen  with  a  rope's  end,  the  poor  creature,  in  desper- 
ation, finally  struggling  up.  When  he  got  to  where 
the  swifters  narrow  in,  below  the  futtock-shrouds,  he 
seemed  overcome  with  terror,  and  there  he  hung,  grasp- 
ing the  rigging  with  a  death-grip.  The  mate  at  last 
allowed  some  of  the  better-hearted  men  to  go  aloft  and 
help  him  down,  remarking  that  "he  did  not  want  all 
the  tar  squeezed  out  of  the  rigging." 

After  this  the  poor  "Cobbler"  was  set  at  all  the 
dirty  work  about  the  decks,  and  every  one  seemed 
privileged  to  give  him  a  kick  or  a  cuff. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

MUTINY   ON  THE   HIGH  SEAS. 

AFTER  we  left  the  Banks  our  bad  weather  and  hard 
work  really  began.  We  seldom  had  the  wind  twelve 
hours  together  from  any  one  point,  while  it  generally 
blew  a  gale  from  some  quarter. 

Sometimes  the  wind  would  chop  round  fair ;  all  sail 
would  be  made  to  it,  and  the  "  watch  below"  allowed 
to  turn  in.  Then  in  perhaps  an  hour  the  wind  would 
come  out  ahead  again,  and  bang  would  go  the  bar  on 
the  forecastle-hatch,  and  "All  hands,  reef  top-sails!" 
would  call  them  all  to  go  aloft,  in  the  dark,  stormy, 
wintry  night,  to  spend  an  hour  in  battling  and  strug- 
gling with  half-frozen  sails. 

There  was  one  thing  without  which  I  do  not  see 
how  the  men  could  have  stood  it  at  all,  and  that  was 
plenty  of  good  "  grub,"  which  most  American  vessels 
have. 

Having  almost  no  change  of  clothing,  the  men  were 
never  dry.  Sometimes  a  lucky  fellow  would  be  al- 
lowed by  the  cook  to  hang  a  shirt  in  the  galley  for  a 
few  minutes,  but  this  was  a  privilege  seldom  granted. 

In  one  heavy  gale  we  had,  just  before  we  made  the 
Irish  coast,  two  men  were  just  coming  in  from  stowing 
the  jib  afresh,  when  a  heavy  sea  boarded  us,  carrying 
one  overboard,  who  was  lost,  and  washing  the  other 
from  the  forecastle  down  upon  deck,  breaking  his  leg. 
168 


MUTINY  ON  THE  HIGH  SEAS.  169 

The  mate,  who  is  also  the  surgeon  in  most  merchant 
ships,  had  him  carried  below  and  put  in  his  bunk, 
where  the  man  shrieked  and  groaned  all  night  long, 
the  motion  of  the  ship  giving  him  great  torture. 

There  was  too  much  to  do  in  getting  the  ship 
"snug"  for  the  mate  to  attend  to  his  patient  that 
night,  but  the  next  morning,  after  breakfast,  he  pro- 
ceeded to  pay  him  a  professional  visit.  I  looked  down 
the  hatch  at  the  scene,  which  was  lighted  up  by  the 
smoky  lantern. 

The  poor  fellow  had  been  propped  by  some  tender- 
hearted messmates  with  rolls  of  damp  clothing,  to 
keep  his  leg  from  rolling  about.  This  was  only  par- 
tially successful,  for  the  ship  had  a  fearful  motion  on, 
which  was  the  more  felt  in  the  forecastle, — the  extreme 
"  eyes  of  her." 

A  very  foul,  mouldy  smell  came  up  the  forecastle- 
hatch,  and  it  would  be  hard  to  fancy  a  more  unfit 
place  for  a  sick  or  injured  man. 

After  a  careful  and  thorough  examination,  which 
gave  the  poor  man  agonies  of  pain,  the  mate  shook 
his  head,  and  pronounced  it  "  pretty  considerable  of  a 
bad  break,"  and  further  said  that  it  must  be  "  parcelled 
and  served,  and  then  fished."  This  he  proceeded  to 
do  on  the  spot,  not  without  some  readiness  and  skill, 
though  perhaps  not  quite  as  a  surgeon  would  have 
done  it.  But,  at  any  rate,  it  kept  the  ends  of  the 
broken  bones  from  grinding,  and  so  long  a  time  had 
elapsed  since  the  accident  that  much  of  the  usual 
swelling  had  taken  place,  and  there  was  the  less  dan- 
ger of  his  bandaging  being  drawn  too  tight. 

When  we  got  into  Liverpool,  which  we  did  a  few 
ft  15 


170  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

days  afterwards,  this  man  was  sent  to  the  infirmary. 
The  rest  of  the  crew  went  on  shore  as  soon  as  the  ship 
was  made  fast  in  Prince's  Dock,  and  not  one  of  them 
did  I  ever  lay  eyes  on  again. 

The  Liverpool  Docks  are  most  wonderful  works,  as 
everybody  knows ;  but  everybody  does  not  know  that 
while  vessels  are  in  them  they  are  not  allowed  to  have 
any  fire  for  cooking,  nor  are  the  crews  allowed  even 
to  smoke ;  the  latter  they  often  do,  however,  on  the 
sly.  This  rule  is  with  a  view  to  prevent  fire  among 
so  many  ships  crowded  together,  close  to  immense 
warehouses,  full  of  all  sorts  of  merchandise. 

In  case  a  fire  occurred,  even  when  the  tide  was  high 
in  the  Mersey,  and  the  dock-gates  could  be  opened,  but 
few  vessels  could  be  got  out  before,  from  the  falling 
water  on  the  ebb,  it  would  be  impossible  to  float  any 
more  out  without  their  taking  on  the  sill  of  the  gate. 
The  tides  here,  as  elsewhere,  prove  a  very  old  proverb 
true. 

Precaution  is  therefore  highly  necessary ;  and  while 
a  ship  is  in  the  dock  the  officers,  steward,  cook,  and 
others  who  may  remain  by  her  are  forced  to  board  on 
shore,  returning  from  meals  to  carry  on  the  ordinary 
duty  and  to  sleep.  The  ship  pays  for  their  meals,  and 
certain  boarding-houses  are  kept  with  a  view  to  en- 
tertaining the  different  classes  of  nautical  customers. 

Liverpool  is  a  dismal  place  at  best,  and  as  we  were 
now  at  the  end  of  November,  it  was  foggy  and  rainy 
all  the  time.  There  is  a  miserable  hopelessness  about 
Liverpool  bad  weather  which  I  have  never  observed 
elsewhere.  It  seems  to  say,  "  This  has  been  my  weather 
ever  since  I  was  a  swampy  bank,  with  the  '  Livers' 


MUTINY  ON  THE  HIGH  SEAS.  171 

stalking  about  undisturbed,  and  1  don't  intend  to 
change  my  weather  because  you  built  docks,  and  first 
traded  in  niggers,  and  then  for  cotton  with  the  Yankees, 
and  so  grew  rich  !" 

During  all  the  week-days  I  was  busy,  and  tired 
enough  when  night  came  to  turn  in  very  early.  But 
on  the  Sunday  afternoon  after  our  arrival  I  took  a 
walk  about  the  town  with  the  second  mate,  and  I  must 
say  I  drank  more  that  day  than  I  ever  did  in  my  life 
before,  from  sheer  blue-devils. 

Liverpool  differs  from  most  towns  in  the  close  neigh- 
borhood of  its  lowest  slums  and  cellars  and  the  most 
decorous  and  respectable  shops  and  streets.  In  the 
dancing-saloons  and  grog-shops,  devoted  to  the  recep- 
tion and  fleecing  of  "Jack,"  the  sailor  has  a  poor 
chance.  As  long  as  he  has  a  shilling  he  is  endured 
in  these  places,  and  when  he  is  stripped  he  is  kicked 
out,  that  is  all.  All  this  is  quite  as  much  a  business 
as  the  retailing  of  silks  or  hats  in  Bold  Street,  close 
by.  The  only  places  which  I  have  ever  seen  which 
could  "  hold  a  candle"  to  the  low  sailor  resorts  of  Liv- 
erpool, are  in  the  East  of  London,  say  about  Ratcliffe 
Highway. 

Perhaps  I  had  better  not  go  into  particulars,  for  they 
would  only  disgust  the  reader,  and  the  facts  are  per- 
fectly well  known  to  many  good  people,  who  would 
make  things  better  if  they  could. 

Fortunately,  we  were  only  about  ten  days  in  Liver- 
pool, as  we  had  had  a  long  passage  out,  and  our  sailing 
day  was  fixed. 

At  the  appointed  time  we  hauled  out  into  the  Mer- 
sey, with  a  new  crew  on  board,  "  by  the  run" ;  very 


172  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

much  the  same  sort  as  those  I  have  described  before. 
Perhaps  they  were  in  a  trifle  better  condition  than  our 
former  crew,  and  they  weighed  our  anchor  briskly  to 
the  tune  of  "  Whiskey  for  my  Johnny  !" 

The  passage  to  the  westward  is  always  the  hardest 
and  the  longest.  We  had  head  winds  almost  from  the 
start,  and  for  five  weeks  we  battled  in  "  the  black  hole," 
or  "roaring  forties,"  with  adverse  gales,  heavy  seas, 
and  cold  weather,  splitting  sails,  and  losing  one  of  our 
boats,  until  all  hands  were  worn  out  and  disheartened. 
There  had  been  symptoms  of  insubordination  among 
the  men  for  several  days,  and  finally,  one  day  at  two 
bells  in  the  afternoon,  quite  a  number  of  the  crew, 
under  the  leadership  of  a  man  named  Green,  refused 
to  "  turn  to." 

After  a  considerable  time  the  men  were  got  upon 
deck,  and  came  aft  in  a  body.  The  captain  appeared, 
and  ordered  those  who  had  nothing  to  do  with  the 
matter  to  go  forward  again.  Only  a  few  did  so,  and 
the  captain  then  asked  Green  what  complaint  they  had. 
He  replied  that  the  men  were  tired  of- the  continued 
hard  work  and  exposure,  and  that  they  wanted  the 
ship  run  off  south,  and  that  we  should  make  what  is 
called  the  "  southern  passage." 

Of  course  this  was  mutinous,  and  would  never  do. 
The  captain  at  once  ordered  them  to  go  to  their  duty,  but 
no  one  moved.  "  Seize  that  man,"  pointing  to  Green, 
"  and  put  him  in  irons !"  The  chief  mate  stepped 
forward  to  do  so,  when  Green,  a  most  powerful  fellow, 
made  a  savage  lunge  at  him  with  his  sheath-knife, 
cutting  the  breast  of  his  coat  and  scratching  the  skin. 
Another  man  drew  a  slung-shot,  as  if  to  strike  him. 


MUTINY  ON   THE  HIGH  SEAS.  173 

The  mate  jumped  back,  and,  drawing  a  revolver, 
shot  Green  dead,  wounding  the  other  man,  with  a  sec- 
ond shot,  so  badly  that  he  died  in  half  an  hour. 

Their  ringleaders  gone,  the  rest  were  soon  subdued. 
Two  or  three  were  ironed  and  confined  in  the  steerage, 
while  the  rest  went  doggedly  about  their  work,  which 
was  so  much  the  harder  because  so  many  were  out  of 
the  way. 

That  night  the  dead  men  were  thrown  overboard 
just  as  they  were,  and  the  next  day  the  ones  in  irons 
were  released  on  promise  of  good  behavior,  as  we  were 
now  dangerously  short-handed,  having  three  men  very 
ill  in  their  bunks. 

Gradually  we  worked  our  way  westward,  fighting 
hard  for  every  inch.  One  of  our  sick  men  died,  of 
inflammation  of  the  lungs,  aggravated  no  doubt  by 
neglect,  damp,  and  cold,  and  all  hands  were  haggard 
and  worn  out. 

"We  were  more  than  sixty  days  out  from  Liver- 
pool, and  had  passed  the  longitude  of  Halifax,  when 
we  sprang  a  bad  leak  during  a  very  heavy  northerly 
gale. 

The  water  gained  on  us  fast,  and  the  men  were  not 
able  to  stand  to  the  pumps  like  a  well  crew,  while  the 
fearful  weather  made  it  necessary  to  knock  off  from 
pumping  occasionally  to  work  ship,  for  we  split  and 
lost  sails,  and  had  to  get  hawsers  over  the  fore-  and 
main-top  mast  heads, — hard  and  dangerous  work  for 
exhausted  men. 

By  the  time  this  gale  abated  it  was  evident  the  ship 
must  sink:  the  carpenter  reporting  that  she  was  so 
strained  that  she  had  opened  badly  in  many  different 

15* 


174  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

places,  and  we  had  lost  our  fore-yard  and  foretop-mast, 
and  the  head  of  the  fore-mast  sprung. 

A  very  dangerous  sea  remained  after  the  gale  broke, 
and  we  delayed  as  long  as  possible  in  taking  to  the 
boats  on  that  account,  as  well  as  being  in  hopes  of 
speaking  some  vessel. 

At  last  the  order  was  given  to  take  to  the  boats.  "We 
had  two  left  at  the  davits, — one  a  good  large  one,  and 
the  other  a  sort  of  dory.  Into  each  of  these  had  been 
put  some  beef,  bread,  breakers  of  water,  and  a  compass. 
The  two  sick  men  were  brought  up  from  the  fore- 
castle and  placed  in  the  starboard  quarter  boat,  which 
was  the  largest,  and  the  chief  mate  and  three  men  got 
into  her  to  take  charge  and  to  bear  her  off  as  she  was 
lowered. 

Watching  for  a  smooth  time,  the  captain  gave  the 
order  to  lower.  The  falls  were  eased  off  properly,  and 
the  boat  seemed  going  all  right,  when  the  ship  "  squat- 
ted," and  a  short  sea  "  bobbling  up"  at  the  same  time, 
touched  the  after-part  of  the  boat  and  lifted  it ;  the 
after-fall  unhooked,  and  in  a  moment  the  boat  was 
hanging  by  the  forward  fall,  and  the  men  in  her  were 
spilt  out  like  potato-peelings  thrown  from  a  basket. 
The  next  sea  took  the  boat  away,  and  the  six  men  of 
course  were  lost. 

There  were  still  thirty  of  us  left  on  board,  including 
the  cook  and  steward,  and  we  now  turned  to  at  getting 
the  long-boat  ready  to  launch  overboard,  which,  with 
the  small  dory,  would  have  easily  held  ue  all,  could  we 
have  got  them  safely  into  the  water. 

I  must  say  our  dandy  captain  behaved  like  a  man. 
"  Now,  men,"  he  said,  "  not  a  soul  goes  into  that  small 


MUTINY  ON  THE  HIGH  SEAS.  175 

boat  until  the  long-boat  is  launched !  If  they  do,  it 
will  be  over  my  body !" 

"We  worked  hard,  for  we  did  not  know  at  what  mo- 
ment the  ship  might  founder  under  us. 

Casting  off  the  iron  gripes  which  confined  heron  the 
chocks  amidships,  and  hastily  putting  in  the  oars,  pro- 
visions, and  water,  we  slewed  her  round  athwart  ships 
by  luff-tackles,  and  got  her  on  rollers,  secured  by  the 
tackles  and  chocks. 

Then  we  began  to  knock  and  cut  away  the  stanchions 
and  bulwarks  on  the  lee  side,  with  the  hope  of  launch- 
ing her  safely  by  watching  a  chance. 

But  some  fatality  seemed  to  cling  to  all  we  did  during 
this  passage,  for  before  the  stanchions  were  gone  some 
frightened  fool  cast  off  the  luff-tackle  during  a  tremen- 
dous lee  lurch,  and  the  boat  rushing  to  leeward  plunged 
overboard, — hopelessly  bilged,  too,  by  the  stump  of  a 
stanchion. 

Here  we  were  now  with  only  one  boat  left,  and  she 
would  not  safely  carry  the  third  of  us,  especially  in  such 
a  sea.  She  was  finally  lowered,  however,  with  four  men 
in  her,  but  she  had  hardly  touched  the  water  and  been 
sheered  off  on  a  long  painter  led  well  forward  when  the 
painter  parted, — or,  perhaps,  the  men  in  her  may  have 
cut  it, — and  away  the  boat  went  into  the  gathering 
darkness  of  approaching  night  with  the  four  men  in  her. 

Things  now  seemed  very  black.  The  night  was 
spent  in  spasmodic  efforts  at  the  pumps,  the  sounding- 
rod  showing  that  the  water  gained  upon  us  all  the  time 
in  spite  of  our  exhausting  work.  Some  rest  was  taken 
in  snatches  on  deck, — such  rest  as  wet  and  weary  men 
in  such  a  position  could  take  in  the  open  air. 


176  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

There  was  one  thing  in  our  favor,  the  sea  was  rap- 
idly running  down;  and,  towards  morning,  we  began 
to  build  a  raft  of  empty  casks  and  spars  as  a  last  hope, 
in  case  the  ship  foundered  suddenly. 

As  soon  as  daylight  came  I  went  aloft  as  far  as  the 
main-top,  and  soon  saw  a  brig  to  the  eastward,  coming 
down  upon  us  fast.  We  set  our  ensign,  union  down, 
which  she  saw  and  answered. 

It  was  high  time  some  assistance  should  reach  us, 
for  the  ship  was  getting  so  deep  in  the  water  that  she 
would  not  mind  her  helm  at  all,  and  her  pitches  and 
lurches  were  of  that  sullen  and  drunken  nature  which 
show  that  a  vessel  has  not  much  life  left  in  her. 

In  less  than  half  an  hour  the  brig  was  hove  to  on 
our  quarter  and  had  lowered  a  boat,  which  pulled  under 
our  stern.  The  man  in  charge  hailed  to  say  that  he 
could  not  come  alongside,  as  he  feared  he  would  stave 
his  boat,  but  that  we  must  jump  overboard  one  at  a 
time,  and  they  would  pick  us  up.  This  we  did,  some 
having  life-preservers  on,  until  the  boat  was  full,  when 
she  pulled  back  to  the  brig  and  managed  to  put  them 
all  on  board. 

She  made  three  trips  in  this  way,  when  there  only 
remained  the  captain,  second  mate,  two  seamen,  the 
black  steward,  and  myself. 

When  the  steward  was  ordered  to  jump  he  point- 
blank  refused,  saying  that  he  might  as  well  go  down 
with  the  ship  as  jump  overboard  and  be  drowned.  In 
spite  of  every  effort,  short  of  throwing  him  over,  he 
would  not  budge.  The  men  in  the  boat  hailed  to  say 
that  we  must  lose  no  more  time,  and  the  ship  was 
evidently  settling  fast.  So  overboard  we  went,  the 


MUTINY  ON  THE  HIGH  SEAS.  177 

captain  last,  leaving  the  steward  wringing  his  hands 
on  the  taffrail.  As  soon  as  he  saw  the  captain  hauled 
into  the  boat,  he  seemed  to  realize  that  he  was  to  be 
left  behind  to  his  fate,  and,  yelling  out,  "  Hold  on, 
captain  !  hold  on  !  I'se  a  comin' !"  he  jumped  into  the 
sea.  We  pulled  up  to  wait  for  him  to  rise,  but  he 
never  did,  and  at  last  the  boat  pulled  to  the  brig,  and 
we  got  safely  on  board. 

She  was  from  Sydney,  Cape  Breton,  with  coal  for 
Boston.  As  soon  as  she  hoisted  her  fine  clinker-built 
boat — which  was  done  with  great  difficulty — she  bore 
up  on  her  course. 

I  do  not  think  we  had  left  our  ship  a  mile  astern 
when  she  made  a  plunge,  and  went  down,  slowly,  head- 
foremost, her  main-  and  mizzen-mast  heads  showing 
last  above  the  water. 

There  were  twenty-five  of  us  in  all  who  got  on 
board  the  collier;  and  we  filled  her  little  cabin  and 
deck-house,  so  that  there  was  not  room  for  all  to  lie 
down  at  once. 

The  skipper  and  his  men  were  very  kind,  and  did 
all  they  could  for  us  in  the  way  of  hot  food  and  warm 
clothing,  and  on  the  fifth  day  we  reached  Boston,  and 
got  our  feet  once  more  on  dry  land. 

The  captain  went  to  some  friends  of  his  and  got 
some  money,  with  which  he  took  the  second  mate  and 
myself  to  New  York.  The  men  who  were  shipped  by 
the  run — and  had  nothing  due  them — were  scattered, 
to  be  picked  up  by  runners  and  shipping-masters  and 
sent  to  sea  again  at  once. 

H* 


CHAPTEE    XVI. 

ADRIFT  ONCE   MORE,   I  TAKE  TO   COASTING. 

HERE  I  was  in  New  York  again  five  months  after 
I  had  left  there  in  the  Amazon. 

All  my  nice  outfit  was  gone;  but,  having  taken  up 
no  advance  of  wages,  I  had  about  two  hundred  dollars 
due  me  from  the  owners,  which  they  paid  me  as  soon 
as  I  presented  myself. 

I  had  lost  my  berth,  however,  and  there  seemed  little 
likelihood  of  my  getting  another,  unless  I  waited  many 
months  for  a  new  veasel,  building  for  the  same  owners 

at  Green  Point,  and  which  Captain  D was  probably 

to  have. 

But  this  vessel  would,  most  likely,  be  put  into  the 
line,  and  I  had  taken  a  dislike  to  the  Liverpool  trade; 
beside  which,  I  had  learned  enough  to  feel  certain  that 
it  would  be  years,  if  ever,  before  I  could  command  a 
ship  in  that  line,  or  even  become  chief  mate  of  one. 

The  captain  of  the  Amazon  had  reported  the  affair 
of  the  shooting  on  his  arrival  in  New  York,  and  the 
second  mate  and  myself  had  to  go  before  the  commis- 
sioner, and  there  was  some  talk  of  holding  us  as  wit- 
nesses. Finally,  the  captain  gave  security  for  his  own 
appearance  when  wanted,  and  I  never  heard  that  any- 
thing more  came  of  it. 

The  chief  mate,  who  had  actually  done  the  shooting, 
was  undoubtedly  lost,  as  well  as  the  men  in  the  second 
178 


ADRIFT  ONCE  MORE,  I  TAKE  TO   COASTING.  179 

boat ;  at  least  the  latter  were  never  heard  from,  and  no 
doubt  perished  miserably. 

While  I  was  drifting  about  New  York,  uncertain 
what  to  do,  I  one  day  came  across  my  old  shipmate 
Brown,  who  had  gone  home  from  Gibraltar  when  the 
Mary  was  wrecked.  He  looked  well  and  was  well 
dressed,  and  we  went  into  a  public-house  together  and 
sat  down  for  a  "  yarn."  After  we  had  "  brought  up 
the  log"  of  what  we  had  done  since  we  parted,  Brown 
told  me  that  he  belonged  to  a  brig  called  the  Eliphalet 
Simpson,  hailing  from  New  Haven,  and  had  been  in 
her  for  more  than  a  year. 

Brown  came  from  that  part  of  the  States,  and  was 
some  distant  connection  of  the  captain  of  the  brig. 
She  was  then  in  New  York  with  a  cargo  of  sugar  from 
Sagua,  and  he  said  they  generally  traded  to  the  West  In- 
dies in  winter,  and  along  our  own  coast  in  the  summer. 
After  a  long  talk  Brown  proposed  to  me  to  ship  in  the 
Eliphalet  Simpson,  as  they  were  short  a  hand.  I 
went  down  with  him  to  the  slip  where  she  was  lying, 
and  saw  her  skipper,  a  plain,  sensible,  quiet,  old  fel- 
low, who  looked  and  talked  much  more  like  a  Connec- 
ticut farmer  than  a  seaman;  but  he  was  a  seaman, 
and  a  good  one. 

He  agreed  to  ship  me  at  good  wages,  and  I  went  to 
one  of  the  owners  of  the  Amazon,  Mr.  Archer,  who 
had  taken  an  interest  in  me,  and  told  him  what  I  was 
going  to  do.  I  requested  him  if  he  saw  a  chance  for 
me,  to  write  to  the  address  of  my  new  captain  in  New 
Haven,  whence  the  letter  would  be  sure  to  reach  me. 
This  he  promised  to  do,  and  I  then  went  to  purchase  a 
few  clothes  and  other  necessaries,  and  put  more  than  a 


180  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

hundred  dollars  in  the  savings-bank  where  I  had  made 
a  deposit  before. 

Next  morning,  early,  I  went  on  board  the  Eliphalet 
Simpson  with  my  traps.  This  was  a  regular  family 
ship.  She  belonged  to  the  skipper  and  his  brother-in- 
law.  Another  brother-in-law  was  mate,  and  a  cousin 
second  mate.  Although  she  was  a  good-sized  brig, 
being  about  three  hundred  tons,  we  had  only  five  men 
before  the  mast,  and  a  cook,  who  was  the  steward  also. 
But  the  five  men  were  all  good  seamen  and  steady  fel- 
lows, and  all  but  myself  came  from  the  same  neighbor- 
hood. 

The  skipper,  in  virtue  of  his  age  and  office,  was 
called  "  cap'en,"  but  the  men  addressed  the  mates  by 
their  Christian  names,  and  the  mates  did  the  same  by 
the  men.  It  always  appeared  to  me  that  the  captain 
kept  most  of  the  night-watches,  and  the  mates  were  on 
deck  during  the  day,  joining  in  all  the  work  going  on. 

In  fact,  I  never  was  in  any  vessel  where  there  was  so 
little  distinction  between  "  Jack  and  his  master,"  and 
yet  where  work  was  so  cheerfully  and  thoroughly  done. 
The  same  food  was  served  in  the  cabin  and  to  the  hands 
in  the  deck-house  amidships.  Pork  and  beans,  pump- 
kin "  sass,"  potato-scouse,  sea-pie,  and  other  delicacies, 
were  concocted  for  all  alike  by  the  old  black  man  who 
was  cook  and  steward  in  one. 

Sampson  Henderson,  or  "  Mr.  Henderson  the  stew- 
ard," as  he  delighted  to  be  called,  was  the  only  tyrant 
on  board.  No  one  must  interfere  with  him  in  his 
galley  under  pain  of  short  commons  when  dinner  came 
to  be  served  out.  In  bad  weather,  when  the  Eliphalet 
was  "  lively"  and  the  spray  flew  from  her  bows,  Mr. 


ADRIFT  ONCE  MORE,  I  TAKE  TO   COASTING.  181 

Henderson  would  shut  the  sliding-doors  of  his  little 
caboose,  and  there  he  would  stay,  spite  of  heat  and 
smoke,  solemnly  stirring  and  tasting,  and  growling 
fearfully  if  u  tacking  ship"  made  it  necessary  for  him 
to  come  out  to  "  'tend  foresheet,"  the  cook's  station  from 
time  immemorial. 

Many  arguments  did  he  hold  with  the  mate  to  show 
that  as  he  was  steward  he  should  not  be  obliged  to 
"'tend  foresheet."  But  the  mate  always  pinned  him 
down  to  the  undeniable  fact  that  he  was  cook  also,  and 
that  the  part  of  him  which  was  cook  must  go  to  the 
foresheet  when  the  order  was  given,  "  Ready,  'bout !" 

On  fine  evenings,  after  all  his  pots  and  pans  were 
scoured,  Sampson  would  sit  on  a  little  three-legged 
stool  on  the  lee  side  of  his  caboose  and  sing  Methodist 
hymns  by  the  hour,  only  interrupting  this  pious  exer- 
cise to  swear  freely  at  any  one  of  the  men  who,  think- 
ing him  absorbed,  tried  to  sneak  into  his  sacred  galley 
for  a  coal  to  light  his  pipe,  or  in  search  of  some  pan  of 
"  scouse"  stowed  away  by  Sampson  for  his  own  supper. 

There  was  never  any  strong  liquor  used  in  the  brig, 
and  I  really  think  there  was  none  on  board  of  her.  In 
hot  weather  we  had  "  swankey"  for  a  drink,  composed 
of  molasses,  vinegar,  and  water.  And  in  cold  weather 
Sampson  gave  us  coffee  three  times  a  day,  and  very 
often,  for  those  who  called  him  "  Mister"  Henderson, 
he  had  a  pot  over  for  the  night. 

Sometimes,  when  we  were  in  port,  and  in  the  in- 
terval between  discharging  and  receiving  cargo,  Brown 
would  go  on  shore,  and  come  off  a  little  the  worse  for 
drink.  But  even  then  he  did  not  materially  disturb 

the  propriety  of  the  Eliphalet  Simpson,  for  he  only  gave 

16 


182  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

evidence  of  being  in  liquor  by  preternatural  solemnity 
of  countenance  and  glassiness  of  eye,  and  a  slight 
tangling  of  his  legs  as  he  made  straight  for  his  bunk, 
where  he  would  soliloquize  and  sing  in  a  low,  maudlin 
voice  until  he  went  to  sleep. 

As  soon  as  we  got  clear  of  our  sugar-boxes  we  went 
up  the  sound  to  New  Haven.  There  the  captain, 
mate,  and  two  of  the  men,  who  were  married,  went 
home,  leaving  Mr.  Henderson,  Brown,  an  old  man 
called  Dan'l,  who  had  been  whaling  most  of  his  life, 
with  myself,  to  take  care  of  the  brig. 

We  got  in  a  good  bit  of  ballast,  and  then  carpenters 
came  and  put  up  a  temporary  deck  over  it  in  the  hold, 
with  stalls,  or  bars,  for  the  purpose  of  taking  on  board 
a  load  of  mules  and  horses  for  Barbadoes. 

When  we  were  ready  for  sailing  the  animals  were 
slung  by  a  broad  canvas  band,  and  lowered  down  our 
large  main-hatch,  when  they  were  led  away  and  secured 
in  their  berths.  They  plunged  and  kicked  as  they 
first  felt  themselves  lifted,  but  once  in  the  air  they 
seemed  to  realize  their  helplessness,  and  hung  with  • 
stiff  legs,  like  wooden  horses.  A  considerable  number 
were  then  taken  on  deck,  as  well  as  a  huge  pile  of 
baled  hay,  and  water-casks,  wherever  there  was  room, 
either  below  or  on  deck,  to  lash  one. 

Two  jockeys,  or  men  to  handle  the  horses  and  treat 
the  sick  ones,  went  out  with  us ;  and  plenty  to  do  they 
had  in  feeding  and  watering  the  "  critters,"  as  the 
skipper  called  them,  and  in  cleaning  up  the  'tween 
decks. 

Although  we  had  plenty  of  ballast  we  were  neces- 
sarily crank  with  such  a  load ;  and  going  off  across 


ADRIFT  ONCE  MORE,  I  TAKE  TO   COASTING.  183 

the  Gulf  Stream,  with  a  stiff  northwester,  we  rolled 
heavily.  Two  or  three  of  the  horses  got  down,  and 
with  such  a  sea  but  little  could  be  done  to  get  them 
up  again,  so  they  died,  and  were  hoisted  up  and  hove 
overboard. 

A  mule  kicked  until  he  broke  his  leg,  and  had  to 
be  killed ;  but  with  these  exceptions  we  got  them  all 
safely  into  Carlisle  Bay.  I  must  say  that  the  poor  beasts 
looked  rather  the  worse  for  the  passage,  and  as  an  old 
negro,  who  came  off  in  the  scow  which  we  used  to  take 
them  on  shore,  remarked,  "  Dey  looked  like  dey  had 
come  all  dis  way  to  feed  de  John-crows." 

From  Barbadoes  we  took  sugar  and  molasses  back 
to  Portland,  Maine,  and  by  that  time  the  season  was 
so  far  advanced  that  the  skipper  did  not  care  to  take 
another  freight  for  the  West  Indies.  We  therefore 
went  round  to  Philadelphia,  and  there  got  a  load  of 
coal  for  Boston,  and  in  this  trade  we  continued  all 
summer. 

On  going  up  the  Delaware  to  the  Richmond  coal- 
wharves,  the  skipper  would  go  on  shore  and  down  to 
the  custom-house,  where  he  entered  and  cleared  the 
vessel,  which  formalities  would  be  performed  at  the 
same  time ;  for  very  often  the  vessel  would  be  loaded 
from  the  shoots  by  the  time  he  returned.  Then  there 
was  nothing  to  be  done  but  to  clap  on  the  hatches  and 
start  down  the  river  again  in  tow  of  a  tug,  washing 
down  the  decks  and  ourselves  as  we  moved  down  the 
stream.  I  never  got  used  to  this  coal-trade,  although 
I  had  plenty  of  it  afterwards,  for  it  was  stupid,  dirty 
work,  and  I  was  very  glad  when  the  winter  came  and 
we  resumed  our  voyages  to  the  West  Indies.  - 


184  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

I  had  written  to  my  friend,  Mr.  Archer,  in  New 
York,  and  had  heard  from  him  that  it  would  be  still 
some  time  before  their  new  vessel  would  be  ready,  but 
that  when  she  was  he  hoped  to  be  able  to  give  me  a 
berth  in  her.  So  I  stuck  to  the  Eliphalet  Simpson 
till  the  time  arrived,  although  I  was  most  anxious 
to  get  on,  and  perhaps,  some  day,  command  a  vessel 
of  my  own. 

It  was  about  the  5th  of  November  when  we  sailed 
from  Matanzas,  bound  to  Philadelphia,  with  a  full  load 
of  sugar, — indeed,  we  were  rather  too  deep. 

We  started  with  lovely  weather,  made  Cape  Florida 
and  Bahama  Lights  with  a  fair  wind,  the  Gulf  Stream 
sending  us  along,  and  everything  promising  a  speedy 
passage.  But  when  about  ia  the  latitude  of  Cape  Fear 
the  wind  hauled  to  about  east  southeast,  and  began  to 
freshen,  while  the  weather  looked  very  dirty. 

We  went  to  work  to  get  the  vessel  snug,  unbending 
the  chains  and  letting  them  run  below  into  the  locker, 
and  getting  the  anchors  in  board  on  the  top-gallant 
forecastle,  and  securely  lashing  them. 

The  wind  increasing  rapidly,  we  furled  top-gallant- 
sails,  main-sail,  and  try-sail,  and  stowed  the  jibs  and 
stay-sails.  By  sundown  we  had  to  furl  the  fore-sail 
and  foretop-sail,  and  bring  the  brig  to  under  close-reefed 
main  top-sail  and  foretop-mast  stay-sail. 

The  wind  now  began  to  haul  more  to  the  southward, 
and  a  tremendous  sea  was  getting  up.  By  midnight  it 
was  blowing  a  very  heavy  gale,  and  promising  to  be 
worse,  and  we  hauled  down  the  foretop-mast  stay-sail, 
nearly  losing  two  men  in  the  effort  to  stow  it. 

Being  very  deeply  laden,  we  labored  a  good  deal 


ADRIFT  ONCE  MORE,  I  TAKE   TO   COASTING.  185 

during  the  night,  and   commenced  making  water,  so 
that  the  pumps  had  to  be  kept  going  most  of  the  time. 

By  the  time  day  broke  the  sea  was  heavier  than  ever, 
making  clean  breaches,  at  times,  on  board  of  us ;  and  we 
now  commenced  heaving  the  boxes  of  sugar  overboard 
to  lighten  her,  passing  them  up  the  cabin  companion- 
way,  and  watching  sharp  to  close  the  slide  whenever  a 
larger  sea  than  usual  came  on  board.  While  engaged 
at  this  work  one  monster  boarded  us,  smashing  our 
boats  and  bruising  some  of  us,  but,  fortunately,  not 
seriously.  We  had  hardly  got  to  work  again  when 
another  sea  came,  and  took  about  everything  movable 
off  the  deck.  Worst  of  all,  it  tore  off  the  tarpaulin 
from  the  main-hatch,  and  smashed  in  the  hatch  itself. 

Fortunately,  a  bolt  of  heavy  canvas  was  in  the  deck- 
house, and,  hammer  and  nails  being  at  hand,  we  man- 
aged to  secure  the  hatch  pretty  well  with  this.  But 
the  leaks  continued  to  increase,  and  two  hands  were 
now  constantly  at  the  pumps,  while  the  rest  were  at 
work  getting  the  cargo  out. 

The  sea  was  by  this  time  fearful  to  look  at.  The 
wind  continued  to  haul  gradually  round  by  south  to 
west  and  north  of  west.  Our  furled  top-gallant  sails 
were  blown  from  the  gaskets,  and  it  was  impossible 
for  any  one  to  go  aloft  to  secure  them,  so  they  blew 
away,  and  our  fore-sail  and  foretop-sail  soon  followed 
them. 

All  this  time  the  leaks  were  increasing,  and  some- 
times it  was  impossible  to  stand  at  the  pumps,  as  the 
waist  would  fill  with  water,  which  rushed  dangerously 
from  side  to  side.  This  we  partly  remedied  by  knock- 
ing away  some  part  of  the  bulwarks  amidships. 

1G* 


THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

About  noon  the  worst  sea  we  had  seen  came  comb- 
ing along  high  above  us,  and  struck  us  with  awful  force. 
Our  old  skipper  saw  it  in  time  to  warn  all  to  hold  on, 
and  not  a  man  was  swept  away.  For  my  part,  I 
thought  the  vessel  was  foundering,  and  felt  surprise 
when  she  gradually  rose  and  shook  herself  partially 
clear  of  the  immense  weight  of  water. 

When  we  could  see  about  us  once  more  we  found  the 
bowsprit,  foretop-mast,  fore-yard,  main  top-gallant 
mast,  and  main  top-sail  yard,  all  carried  away,  and  the 
close-reefed  main  top-sail  was  gone  too,  so  there  was 
not  a  rag  of  sail  to  steady  the  brig. 

The  foretop-sail  yard  in  its  fall  had  gone  through 
the  deck  and  ripped  it  up,  and  the  water  was  pouring 
down  through  the  hole.  We  had  to  cut  off  the  yard, 
which  was  done  by  the  mate  and  Brown  with  axes, 
and  the  hole  was  partially  stopped  by  boards  from  the 
cabin  bulk-head,  with  canvas  nailed  over  them.  We 
also  managed  to  clear  and  cut  away  the  wreck,  and  to 
set  the  main  storm  stay-sail,  and  then  returned  to  the 
pumps,  and  to  throwing  cargo  overboard.  The  men  at 
the  pumps  were  lashed,  as  well  as  those  at  the  wheel, 
while  the  rest  of  us  had  to  watch  out  and  secure  our- 
selves whenever  a  sea  boarded  us. 

At  eight  o'clock  that  night  we  ceased  working  at  the 
cargo  from  sheer  exhaustion,  but  the  pumps  had  still 
to  be  kept  going  by  short  reliefs,  for  the  water  in  the 
hold  kept  gaining.  We  had  had  some  raw  pork  and 
hard-tack  at  times  during  the  day,  and  there  was  a 
small  cask  of  water  in  the  steward's  pantry  below, 
from  which  we  drank. 

Thus  passed  this  wretched  night,  all  hands  pumping 


ADRIFT  ONCE  MORE,  I  TAKE   TO   COASTING.  187 

in  turn,  or  catching  snatches  of  sleep,  sitting  lashed 
under  the  bulwarks  of  the  weather  quarter. 

Next  morning,  the  wind  blowing  almost  as  hard  as 
ever  from  northwest,  we  had  to  secure  the  main  rigging 
and  top-mast  backstays,  the  lanyards  of  which  were 
beginning  to  go.  The  cook  managed  to  heat  us  some 
tins  of  soup  by  an  alcohol  lamp  in  the  cabin,  and  the 
warm  food  seemed  to  put  new  life  into  us. 

The  water  was  very  deep  in  the  hold  now,  and  of 
course  we  had  to  keep  the  pumps  going  as  well  as  we 
could.  A  good  deal  of  the  sugar  in  the  lower  tiers  had 
melted,  so  we  pumped  it  out,  and  we  managed  to  trim 
aft  a  few  boxes  to  take  the  place  of  that  thrown  over- 
board, but  it  was  very  slow  and  dangerous  work. 

The  water  gained  on  us,  the  weather  was  nearly  as 
bad  as  ever,  and  the  ship  was  laboring  tremendously, 
but  the  sea  was  a  little  more  regular  and  did  not  break 
on  board  so  often. 

Another  night  now  shut  down  upon  us,  which  I 
thought  must  certainly  be  our  last ;  but  we  stuck  to  the 
pumps,  and  no  one  seemed  inclined  to  give  up,  although 
we  were  fearfully  exhausted,  and  the  weather  had  turned 
cold. 

At  daylight  on  the  third  day  we  were  nearly  all 
unfit  to  pump  any  more,  and  old  Daniel  and  Sampson 
were  completely  used  up,  and  were  lying  on  the  cabin 
floor.  The  wind  had  sensibly  decreased,  but  there  was 
still  a  very  heavy  sea,  and  the  brig  was  evidently 
settling. 

At  this  time  we  saw  a  barque  to  leeward  of  us,  lying 
to  under  close  reefed  main  top-sail  and  fore-sail,  and  we 
made  her  a  signal,  when  she  appeared  for  the  first  time 


188  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

to  see  us.  She  stood  by  us  until  afternoon,  when  the 
sea  had  run  down  enough  for  her  to  lower  a  boat,  and 
in  two  trips  she  managed  to  take  us  all  off,  besides  a 
lot  of  valuables  from  the  cabin  tied  up  in  a  sheet. 

The  barque  which  saved  us  was  the  Reindeer,  of 
Glasgow,  bound  to  Charleston.  Her  old  Scotch  cap- 
tain was  very  kind  to  us,  and  it  was  with  great  pleasure 
that  I  afterwards  heard  he  was  presented  with  a  hand- 
some chronometer  by  the  government  for  his  exertions 
that  day.  Most  of  us  did  nothing  but  sleep  until  we 
arrived  in  Charleston,  but  the  only  one  who  was  really 
made  ill  by  all  this  exposure  was  poor  old  Dan'l,  who 
had  to  be  sent  to  the  hospital,  and  who  died  there  in  a 
few  days  from  inflammation  of  the  lungs.  As  it  was 
evident  he  could  not  live,  the  captain  left  money  to 
bury  him  decently,  and  we  all  left  for  New  York  in 
one  of  the  regular  packet  steamers.  Sampson  Hender- 
son, on  account  of  the  laws  about  free  blacks,  was 
retained  on  board  the  Reindeer  by  the  Scotch  skipper 
until  we  were  all  ready  to  go  on  board  the  New  York 
steamer. 

When  we  arrived  the  captain  settled  with  me,  and 
we  parted.  He  told  Brown  and  myself  that  if  we 
found  nothing  better  to  do,  we  could  come  up  to  New 
Haven  in  April  and  ship  again  with  him.  The  Eli- 
phalet  Simpson  had  been  well  insured,  and  the  old  man 
thought  he  would  stop  at  home  a  while,  and  then  buy 
a  new  vessel  in  the  spring. 

While  sailing  in  the  Eliphalet  Simpson  I  had  occa- 
sionally sent  money  to  be  put  in  the  savings-bank,  and 
I  now  had  over  three  hundred  dollars  there,  besides 
enough  to  fit  me  out  with  clothing  and  keep  me  for  a 


ADRIFT  ONCE  MORE,  I  TAKE   TO   COASTING.  189 

little  while.  I  went  to  my  old  boarding-house  with 
Brown,  who  would  tipple  while  on  shore,  but  who 
behaved  himself  tolerably  so  long  as  I  kept  an  eye  on 
him.  Our  positions  were  completely  reversed  since  he 
was  captain  of  the  top  in  the  old  F . 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

I  FALL,  UPON  MY  FEET, — AND  ALSO  FALL  IN 
LOVE. 

As  soon  as  I  got  some  decent  clothes,  I  went  to  see 
ray  friend,  Mr.  Archer,  who  told  me  that  they  would 
have  a  fine  new  barque  ready  in  about  a  month,  and 
that  I  should  have  the  berth  of  mate  in  her. 

I  then  asked  him  for  some  berth  for  Brown,  and  he 
told  me  to  go  to  see  the  captain  who  was  to  command 
the  barque,  and  to  use  his  name  in  regard  to  Brown. 

This  captain  was  named  Henry,  and  was  quite  a 
young  man,  of  very  good  education,  who  had  been 
brought  up  principally  in  the  East  India  and  China 
trade. 

He  received  me  very  pleasantly,  and  asked  me  all 
about  myself,  my  age,  and  my  capabilities  as  a  navi- 
gator. I  told  him  I  was  about  twenty-five,  and  was 
very  rusty  in  navigation,  but  had  no  doubt  that  I  should 
soon  pick  up.  When  I  spoke  to  him  about  Brown  as 
a  thorough  seaman  and  rigger,  he  said  he  would  take 
him  as  boatswain. 

Until  the  barque  (which  was  called  the  Highflyer) 
was  ready,  I  had  nothing  to  do  but  walk  about  and 
amuse  myself.  One  day  I  went  over  to  the  Naval 
Hospital  to  see  the  doctor  in  charge,  and  my  old  ac- 
quaintances employed  there,  and  to  hear  a  little  navy 
news. 
190 


I  FALL    UPON  MY  FEET.  191 

I  was  returning  at  dusk  across  the  Fulton  ferry, 
when  I  saw  an  old  lady,  quite  respectably  dressed  in 
black,  slip  and  fall  on  the  icy  pavement.  I  picked  her 
up,  and  she  appeared  more  frightened  and  shaken  than 
hurt;  so  I  offered  to  take  her  home,  if  she  would  tell 
me  where  she  lived.  It  turned  out  to  be  quite  near, 
in  John  Street,  where  she  was  a  sort  of  janitress  to  a 
large  establishment  for  making  fringe  and  such  like 
things.  The  proprietors  gave  the  girls  employed  there 
their  meals,  and  this  old  lady,  whose  name  was 
James,  superintended  all  that,  and  had  two  rooms 
up-stairs,  where  she  lived  with  her  daughter,  they  be- 
ing the  sole  occupants  of  the  building  at  night  and  on 
Sundays, 

When  we  got  to  the  door,  and  the  old  lady  had  man- 
aged to  get  the  dead-latch  key  in,  a  girl,  who  had  evi- 
dently been  listening  for  it,  ran  down  and,  not  seeing 
me,  began  to  talk  to  her  mother  about  being  so  late, 
and  how  anxious  she  had  been.  Mrs.  James  drew  her 
attention  to  me,  and  after  some  whispered  consultation, 
they  asked  me  to  walk  in. 

I  did  so,  though  generally  bashful  enough  among 
women,  and  I  was  fairly  taken  aback  by  the  beauty  of 
the  daughter,  a  girl  of  about  twenty,  and  by  the  pleas- 
ant, cheerful,  kind  way  in  which  she  managed  her 
mother,  and  soothed  her  after  her  agitation. 

When  I  took  my  leave,  they  asked  me  to  call  again, 
which  I  very  soon  did,  and  then  learned  that  Mrs. 
James  was  the  widow  of  a  boatswain  in  the  navy,  and 
had  a  small  pension. 

After  they  found  that  I  was  a  sailor,  it  seemed  to 
make  them  feel  still  more  kindly  towards  me,  and  it 


192  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

soon  came  about  that  I  passed  most  of  my  evenings 
there. 

When  the  Highflyer  was  ready,  I  went  on  board 
with  a  heavy  heart  at  going  to  sea,  for  the  first  time  in 
my  life.  For,  although  I  had  been  something  of  a 
Jonah,  I  had  never  thought  much  of  the  risks  of  my 
calling  until  now.  I  felt  that  I  should  like  to  come 
back  safely,  get  command  of  a  vessel,  and  marry  Ella 
James. 

Still,  I  did  not  say  as  much  as  that  to  her;  for  the 
old  lady,  to  whom  I  had  hinted  my  wishes,  would  not 
hear  of  it,  at  least  for  the  present. 

I  referred  her  to  Mr.  Archer,  and  to  the  old  skipper 
of  the  Eliphalet  Simpson,  in  New  Haven,  for  my 
character,  and  went  away  in  better  heart,  for  a  gentle 
squeeze  of  Ella's  hand  and  a  little  moisture  which  I 
saw  in  her  eyes  as  she  bade  me  good-by. 

The  Highflyer  was  ready  for  sea  about  the  first  of 
February.  At  this  time  the  Crimean  war  was  going 
on,  and  a  great  amount  of  tonnage  was  taken  up  for 
supplying  the  allied  armies.  Sailors  were  consequently 
in  demand  in  all  ports,  and  we  had  some  difficulty  in 
picking  up  a  crew.  Ours  comprised  a  great  many  na- 
tionalities, like  most  of  the  ships'  companies  sailing 
from  New  York.  But  every  man  Jack  of  them  had 
his  American  protection,  setting  forth  the  very  town  in 
New  York,  Massachusetts,  or  Pennsylvania  where  he 
was  born. 

We  had  two  or  three  Swedes  or  Norwegians,  a  Finn, 
and  several  "  Dagos,"  or  Portuguese,  from  Madeira  and 
Fayal,  with  two  Irishmen.  The  rest  were  Americans, 
including  a  Gay  Head  Indian,  a  capital  sailor  and  a 


/  FALL    UPON  MY  FEET.  193 

first-rate  helmsman,  with  a  black  cook  and  mulatto 
steward. 

The  "  north  countrymen"  were  good,  honest,  hard- 
working, simple-hearted  men,  who  never  gave  any 
trouble.  The  Finn  was  a  carpenter  and  sail-maker, 
while  Brown  was,  as  I  have  said  before,  the  boatswain, 
and,  like  most  thorough  sailors,  could  turn  his  hand 
to  almost  anything. 

Our  second  officer  was  an  old  Sag  Harbor  whaler, 
who  was  just  a  second  mate,  and  would  never  be  any- 
thing else. 

The  owners  had  been  offered  a  very  favorable  charter 
from  the  French  government  to  take  flour  out  to  the 
Crimea,  and  the  agent  was  hurrying  us  off;  so  the 
moment  we  got  our  crew  on  board  we  sailed  for  Gib- 
raltar. 

The  ship  proved  worthy  of  her  name,  and  made  the 
passage  in  twenty-three  days.  In  spite  of  the  mixed 
crew  everything  soon  settled  down  and  worked  smoothly. 
I  felt  proud  of  my  position,  and  worked  hard.  Cap- 
tain Henry  seemed  to  appreciate  it,  for  we  were  soon 
on  very  good  terms,  and  always  continued  so. 

One  day,  soon  after  we  sailed,  the  old  black  cook 
called  me  into  the  pantry  as  I  was  going  on  deck,  and, 
carefully  closing  the  door,  said,  "  Mr.  Mate,  does  you 
rightly  know  whedder  dat  Finn  is  a  Rooshin  Finn  ?" 
I  answered  that  I  believed  all  Finns  were  Russian 
Finns  now,  and  asked  him  why,  although  I  knew  the 
reason  for  his  question  well  enough.  He  hesitated,  and 
then  said  it  was  bad  to  sail  with  a  Russian  Finn,  for 
they  were  able  to  bewitch  people,  and  had  the  evil  eye. 
He,  moreover,  informed  me  that  this  Finn  had  a  horn  of 
i  17 


194  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA, 

baby's  fat  to  grease  his  sail-needles  with  to  make  them 
go  easy  when  mending  sails,  and  that  if  he  hated  any- 
body, he  had  only  to  touch  them,  in  their  sleep,  with  a 
little  of  the  fat,  and  they  would  wake  up  blind,  with 
much  more  to  the  same  purpose. 

I  mention  this  to  show  what  queer  notions  and  su- 
perstitions seafaring  people  have,  although  they  are  now 
fast  passing  away.  The  belief  that  Finns  were  war- 
locks is,  or  was,  one  of  the  most  deeply  fixed  in  the 
nautical  mind. 

This  particular  Finn  was  an  industrious,  ill-tempered 
old  fellow,  who  seldom  spoke  to  any  one,  but  went 
quietly  about  his  work,  never  interfering  with  others, 
so  long  as  he  was  let  alone. 

When  not  at  work  his  only  enjoyment  seemed  to 
consist  in  greasing  and  rubbing  a  large  pair  of  sea-boots 
which  he  possessed  with  a  compound  of  tallow,  bees- 
wax, and  turpentine. 

I  really  should  be  afraid  to  say  how  many  coats  he 
gave  these  boots  on  the  passage  to  Gibraltar,  but  a  good 
part  of  the  time  they  were  hanging  to  soak  and  dry  in 
the  cook's  galley,  very  much  in  the  way,  too,  but  the 
cook  was  afraid  to  touch  them  for  fear  some  of  the 
baby-fat  might  be  on  them. 

On  arriving  at  Gibraltar  we  were  ordered  to  proceed 
at  once  to  Constantinople,  and  discharge  our  flour  at 
Scutari,  not  going  on  to  Balaklava. 

We  proceeded  at  once,  and  on  arrival  at  the  Darda- 
nelles, and  showing  our  transport  number,  we  were 
taken  in  tow  by  a  French  despatch  boat,  and  soon  an- 
chored in  the  Bosphorus.  As  soon  as  we  arrived  we 
were  boarded  by  the  French  commissariat  officers,  with 


I  FALL    UPON  MY  FEET.  195 

dozens  of  Turkisk  "hamals,"  or  porters,  who  soon 
whipped  our  barrels  of  flour  out.  I  have  never  seen 
stronger  men  than  these  hamals.  They  picked  up  and 
handled  the  barrels  as  easily  almost  as  a  lady  her  muff. 

The  Bosphorus  was  crowded  with  men-of-war,  trans- 
ports loaded  with  troops,  and  merchant  vessels,  and 
the  scene  was  a  very  interesting  and  busy  one,  especi- 
ally on  a  fine,  clear  day,  when  we  had  a  view  of  Con- 
stantinople, Pera,  and  the  strait,  with  its  picturesque, 
bold  shores,  lined  with  the  palaces  of  the  Sultan  and 
high  dignitaries. 

We  were  there  only  five  days,  and  I  never  had  time 
to  go  on  shore.  The  French  officers  hurried  us,  for 
we  were  to  go  back  to  Toulon,  and  there  take  on  board 
a  battery  of  artillery,  with  their  horses. 

The  day  before  we  sailed  a  staff-officer  came  on 
board,  measured  the  ship  and  drew  a  plan  of  her. 
This  was  to  be  sent  on  by  steamer  in  advance,  so  that 
they  might  get  out  the  lumber  for  berths  and  stalls 
before  we  arrived. 

For  ballast,  going  back,  we  had  a  quantity  of  con- 
demned guns,  shot,  and  other  iron,  to  be  delivered  at 
the  iron-works  at  La  Seyne,  near  Toulon. 

We  made  a  very  fine  passage  to  the  westward,  going 
to  the  south  of  Sicily,  and  sighting  Malta  and  Gozo. 
We  had  one  sharp  northwest  blow  off  Pantellaria  and 
Cape  Bon,  being  the  first  really  bad  weather  we  had 
in  the  ship.  She  behaved  beautifully,  and  I  liked  her 
better  and  better  every  day. 

When  we  arrived  off  Toulon  we  were  taken  in  tow 
by  a  naval  tug,  and  entered  the  splendid  harbor,  which 
was  full  of  men-of-war  and  transports. 


196  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

The  French  flag-ship,  a  splendid  three-decker,  seemed 
to  be  signalling  all  day  long,  and  her  band  on  the  poop 
seemed  never  to  cease  playing  "  Partant  pour  la  Syrie." 
Boats  and  steam-launches  were  dashing  about  with 
orders,  and,  as  we  had  our  transport  number  flying,  one 
came  and  ordered  us  to  a  buoy,  close  to  the  entrance 
of  the  old  basin.  Just  inside  the  entrance  of  the  latter 
lies  moored  the  Muiron,  the  vessel  in  which  Napoleon 
came  back  from  Egypt,  eluding  all  the  English  cruisers. 
The  Muiron  is  kept  in  perfect  order,  and,  though  rather 
old-fashioned,  according  to  present  ideas,  she  shows 
fine  lines,  and  is  a  very  pretty  vessel. 

Waiting  near  the  buoy,  to  assist  us  to  moor,  was  a 
launch  manned  by  the  convicts,  called  "  galle'riens,"  or 
"  forcats,"  by  the  French.  They  were  dressed  in  coarse 
jackets  and  trousers,  with  sleeves  and  caps  of  red,  yel- 
low, and  green,  denoting  the  terms  for  which  they  were 
sentenced.  I  think  I  was  told  that  the  green  ones 
were  there  for  life. 

Each  had  a  tin  slip  sewed  on  his  cap,  with  a  number 
on  it,  made  by  perforating  the  tin  with  small  holes,  like 
an  old-fashioned  lantern,  and  they  were  only  known 
by  these  numbers.  There  were  no  names  in  the  gal- 
leys. On  the  stern-frame  of  the  launch  sat  two  guards, 
with  short  carbines  across  their  laps,  who  directed  the 
work  of  the  "forcats,"  speaking  to  them  just  as  one 
would  speak  to  a  mule. 

I  have  never  seen  more  forbidding  countenances 
than  these  galley-slaves  have,  and  there  seemed  to 
exist  a  singular  likeness  among  them,  doubtless  from 
their  close-cropped  hair  and  lack  of  beard,  all  being 
close-shaven. 


/  FALL    UPON  MY  FEET.  197 

They  stare  back,  when  looked  at,  with  a  hard, 
unwinking  glare,  like  that  of  a  wild  animal. 

Anything  thrown  overboard,  even  the  veriest  gar- 
bage, was  seized  upon  by  these  creatures,  and  stowed 
away  about  their  clothes,  as  a  little  addition  to  their 
scanty  ration,  for  they  are  by  no  means  pampered, 
these  for9ats ! 

Once,  when  a  boat  pulled  by  them  was  alongside 
our  ship,  I  dropped  a  good  large  piece  of  cavendish 
tobacco  close  by  one  of  them.  He  sprang  at  it  like  a 
hungry  wolf,  glanced  up  at  me,  and  for  half  a  second 
looked  almost  grateful. 

These  wretches  are  seldom  warm  in  winter,  seldom 
cool  in  summer,  and,  early  and  late,  are  kept  at  hard 
and  dirty  work.  No  change,  no  hope;  seeing  the 
world  move  around  them,  but  not  belonging  to  it.  It 
seemed  to  me  their  lot  was  worse  than  that  of  prisoners 
in  solitary  confinement. 

Think  of  being  chained  to  a  man  whom  you  feared 
or  detested  for  five  years,  or  until  one  of  you  died ! 
Think  of  being  chained  to  your  bed  every  night, — and 
such  a  bed ! — with  guns  loaded  with  grape,  pointed 
through  ports,  to  rake  the  dormitory  in  the  "  Bagne." 

There  are  about  four  thousand  of  them,  and  they 
seldom  escape.  When  they  do  manage  to  elude  the 
guards,  the  fact  is  soon  discovered,  and  they  are  almost 
always  recaptured.  A  gun  fires,  and  the  report  and 
its  echoes  go  booming  among  the  mountains.  Then 
every  child  knows  that  a  galle"rien  is  loose,  and  all  look 
out  for  him,  for  it  is  well  not  to  have  one  of  these 
prowling  about,  watching  his  chance.  A  starving  wolf 
would  be  safer.  Terrible  crimes  have  been  committed 

17* 


198  THIRTY   YEARS  AT  SEA. 

about  Toulon  by  escaped  galley-slaves,  in  their  attempts 
to  procure  a  change  of  clothing,  food,  and  money,  to 
aid  them  to  get  away.  Sometimes  one  drowns  himself 
rather  than  be  retaken.  He  is  then  identified,  and 
marked  off  the  list :  a  good  riddance. 

I  went  on  shore  sometimes  at  Toulon,  landing  on 
the  quay  of  the  old  basin,  lined  with  high  houses,  full 
of  cafes,  billiard-rooms,  and  shops  full  of  trash  for 
wheedling  sailors  out  of  their  money. 

If  any  one  still  has  the  idea  that  Frenchmen  do  not 
get  drunk,  let  him  go  on  this  quay  on  Sunday  after- 
noon, and  he  will  see  soldiers  and  sailors  reeling  along, 
shouting,  singing,  and  making  fools  of  themselves  in 
the  manner  of  drunken  men  the  world  over,  every 
now  and  then  stopping  at  some  "  guingette"  to  have 
the  "  petite  goutte,"  to  keep  up  the  steam.  The  bronze 
statue  of  the  Genius  of  Navigation  would  see  many 
such  sights  if  it  did  not  turn  its  back  upon  them,  and 
gaze  out  south  over  the  basin  and  splendid  harbor. 
There  were  soldiers  and  sailors  everywhere,  and  huge 
transports  were  taking  them  off  every  day,  bound  to 
the  Crimea,  to  replace  the  sick  and  wounded,  which 
the  same  vessels  had  just  brought  home. 

The  basins  and  docks  at  Toulon  are  not  the  sweetest 
places  in  the  world,  for  the  whole  drainage  of  the  town 
goes  into  them,  and  the  Mediterranean  being  almost 
tideleas,  they  do  not  clear  themselves  very  readily.  I 
was  glad,  therefore,  when  we  received  orders  to  be 
ready  for  our  passengers. 

The  guns,  with  their  caissons  and  forge,  were  first 
brought  on  board  and  stowed  below,  except  one  gun 
and  limber,  which  was  lashed  on  the  quarter-deck. 


/  FALL    UPON  MY  FEET.  199 

Then  came  the  horses,  brought  off  on  scows,  whipped 
on  board,  and  placed  in  their  stalls.  Finally  the  offi- 
cers, five  in  number,  and  the  men  came  on  board,  and 
were  told  off  to  their  quarters.  Of  course  the  officers 
were  in  the  cabin,  and  it  appeared  to  me  that,  during 
the  whole  passage,  seasick  or  not,  on  deck  or  below, 
they  never  stopped  talking,  and  never  took  off  their 
swords  or  spurs.  They  were  apparently  not  bad  fel- 
lows, but  as  none  of  them  spoke  English  our  inter- 
course was  rather  limited,  and  they  gave  very  little 
trouble.  There  was  a  trumpeter,  however,  forward, 
who  was  a  perfect  nuisance,  for  he  was  blowing  "  calls" 
of  some  kind  all  day  long,  and  well  into  the  night. 

After  they  got  over  their  seasickness,  one  or  other 
of  the  sergeants  was  always  drilling  some  recruits  and 
conscripts  among  them  at  the  gun  left  on  deck,  and  at 
the  sabre  exercise,  while  the  officers  smoked  cigarettes 
and  looked  on  with  their  hands  in  the  pockets  of  their 
baggy  red  trousers. 

I  don't  remember  seeing  an  officer  or  man  read  a  line 
during  the  three  weeks  they  were  on  board,  but  they 
must  have  played  in  that  time  about  seven  thousand 
games  of  dominoes. 

As  soon  as  we  had  everything  secured  we  were 
taken  in  tow  by  a  man-of-war,  a  paddle-wheel  steamer, 
and  started  at  once  for  the  East,  stopping  a  few  hours 
at  Messina  and  at  Syra,  in  the  Archipelago,  to  replenish 
our  coal  and  water. 

When  we  arrived  in  the  Bosphorus,  the  steamer  went 
alongside  a  coal-hulk,  while  we  took  water  from  a  float- 
ing tank,  and  in  six  hours  we  were  off  again  for  Bala- 
klava.  As  this  was  less  than  four  hundred  miles,  we 


200  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

arrived  the  third  day,  having  had  splendid  weather  all 
the  way  from  Toulon. 

As  soon  as  we  warped  into  the  narrow,  crowded 
port,  we  began  to  tumble  our  passengers,  their  horses 
and  guns,  on  shore,  and  glad  enough  we  were  to  get 
rid  of  them  and  have  the  ship  to  ourselves  once  more. 

I  suppose  there  was  never  seen  a  more  curious  mix- 
ture of  races  than  in  the  crowd  along  the  water-side, 
and  among  the  sheds  and  store-houses  at  Balaklava. 
Fatigue-parties  of  Frenchmen,  English,  Turks,  and 
Italians,  Greeks,  Tartars,  Armenians,  Germans,  Yan- 
kees, and  negroes,  fairly  swarmed.  The  ravine  which 
formed  the  port  was  deep,  and  nothing  of  the  armies  or 
their  operations  could  be  seen.  I  should  have  liked  to 
go  and  have  a  look  at  the  siege,  but  the  harbor-master,  a 
smart,  bustling  English  navy  captain  (I  think  his  name 
was  Boxer)  hurried  us  with  our  ballast,  and  fairly 
shoved  us  off  and  out  of  the  harbor  before  we  had  time 
to  look  about  us.  In  fact,  the  port  was  much  too  small 
for  the  shipping  going  there,  and  I  could  not  blame 
the  harbor-master,  but  I  have  always  regretted  having 
been  there  without  being  able  to  see  anything  of  the 
operations. 

This  is  often  the  case  with  sailors.  Frequently 
brought  close  to  remarkable  places,  people  express  sur- 
prise that  they  have  not  been  visited  by  them,  forget- 
ting that  a  sailor  has  to  attend  to  his  business,  just  as 
much  as  any  tradesman  at  home  has  to  attend  to  his 
shop. 

Our  charter  was  now  up,  and  we  made  the  best  of 
our  way  across  the  Black  Sea,  and  out  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean. It  was  the  calm  season,  and  consequently  we 


/  FALL    UPON  MY  FEET.  201 

made  a  long  passage,  being  sixty  days  to  Gibraltar. 
Thence  we  went  to  Lisbon,  were  quarantined  ten  days 
for  coming  from  the  Levant,  and  afterwards  went 
round  to  Setuval,  or  St.  Ubes,  close  by,  and  took  on 
board  a  load  of  salt  and  cork.  Setuval,  as  well  as  Ca- 
diz and  Lisbon,  are  towns  of  the  very  greatest  antiquity. 
The  Portuguese  gravely  claim  that  Setuval  was  founded 
by  Tubal  Cain.  It  is  a  poor  place  now,  however,  if  it 
is  almost  as  old  as  the  deluge. 

At  last  we  sailed  for  New  York,  by  the  middle  pas- 
sage, and  arrived  safe  and  sound  about  the  middle  of 
October.  1  found  my  friends,  the  James',  well  and 
glad  to  see  me,  and  I  spent  most  of  my  evenings  there 
while  the  ship  was  in  port. 

It  was  an  entirely  new  sensation  for  me  to  have  a 
footing  in  any  respectable  female  society,  and  I  was 
rather  diffident  about  directly  addressing  Ella,  not  un- 
derstanding much  of  the  ways  of  wornenkind.  How- 
ever, it  was  settled  at  last  that  when  I  came  home, 
after  the  next  voyage,  we  were  to  be  married.  I  made 
her  some  presents  of  dress  and  furniture,  and  put  a 
good  bit  of  money  in  the  savings-bank,  for  I  now  got 
good  wages,  and  had  every  incentive  to  put  by  my 
savings. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

I   MAKE  A   VOYAGE   TO   THE   RIVER  OF   PLATE. 

WE  sailed  again  in  the  Highflyer,  from  New  York, 
about  the  first  week  in  December,  bound  to  the  river 
of  Plate  with  an  assorted  cargo. 

We  had  the  same  ship's  company  as  on  the  last  voy- 
age, with  a  few  exceptions,  and  the  changes  were  for  the 
better.  Nothing  remarkable  occurred  on  the  passage 
out  until  we  got  down  on  the  Line,  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  desert  rock  of  St.  Paul.  Although  this  is  more 
than  fifty  feet  high,  in  the  very  centre  of  the  ocean, 
only  a  few  minutes  from  the  Line,  and  in  a  neighbor- 
hood where  ships  are  passing  at  all  seasons,  it  is  very 
seldom  seen.  It  is  inhabited  by  birds  and  crabs,  liter- 
ally in  myriads.  The  latter  must  live  upon  the  birds' 
eggs  and  young,  and,  perhaps,  upon  each  other.  Sharks 
in  great  squadrons  sail  about  the  rock,  no  doubt  attracted 
by  the  great  quantity  of  other  fish  ;  and  they  come  off 
in  a  grave  and  stately  way  to  inspect  passing  vessels : 
seemingly  under  the  lead  of  some  huge  commodore  of 
a  fellow,  with  an  immense  dorsal  fin  for  a  flag. 

It  is  hard  to  say  why  more  vessels  are  not  lost  on 
these  rocks,  especially  at  night.  Perhaps  many  are,  of 
which  nothing  is  ever  heard.  That  some  are  lost  we 
know ;  but  few  people  ever  land  upon  the  rock,  even 
when  they  pass  close  by  it. 

We  had  calms  and  baffling  winds,  with  short  squalls 
202 


VOYAGE  TO   THE  RIVER  OF  PLATE.         203 

and  torrents  of  rain,  for  several  days,  and  every  one  was 
wearied  out  with  bracing  about  the  yards  to  flaws  of 
wind  which  would  only  last  a  few  minutes.  One  night 
it  was  pitch  dark,  heavy  clouds  covering  the  whole  sky, 
and  a  most  uncomfortable  atmosphere  seemed  to  depress 
every  one  on  board.  About  ten  o'clock — during  my 
watch — "corposants"  appeared  on  our  trucks  and  on 
the  pacific-irons  of  our  yards,  showing  a  very  ghostly, 
phosphorescent  light  of  an  oval  shape  as  large  as  a  peck 
measure,  and  flaring  and  swaying  about  with  the  mo- 
tion of  the  vessel,  which  was  becalmed. 

These  "  corposants"  are  nothing  but  electrical  phe- 
nomena not  uncommon  in  a  certain  peculiar  state  of  the 
atmosphere ;  but  most  sailors  dislike  to  see  them,  and 
think  they  augur  some  ill  to  the  beholders. 

They  lasted  for  about  an  hour,  during  which  the  old 
Finn  came  up  to  me  chuckling  and  muttering  and 
shaking  his  head,  and  said  that  some  harm  would 
happen  in  consequence  of  this. 

A  smart  rain-squall  then  came  up,  after  which  the 
weather  cleared,  and  by  daylight  we  were  dashing  along, 
with  a  nice  breeze,  well  across  the  Line,  and  everything 
bright  and  cheerful. 

About  seven  o'clock  a  man  who  was  aloft  sung  out 
that  he  saw  a  boat.  Going  a  little  way  up  the  mizzen- 
rigging,  I  soon  made  out  a  boat,  apparently  empty,  on 
our  weather-bow.  Reporting  it  to  the  captain,  he  di- 
rected me  to  brace  up  sharp  on  a  wind,  so  as  to  pass 
close  to  the  drifting  boat,  and  see  if  any  one  was  in  her. 

We  stood  down  close,  and  when  within  a  hundred 
yards  could  see  no  one  in  her,  and  she  appeared  to 
have  had  her  gunwale  stove ;  but  just  then  the  boat 


204  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

gave  a  roll,  and  we  saw  something  in  her  bottom  which 
looked  like  a  man. 

Immediately  the  barque  was  hove  to.  We  lowered 
a  boat,  and  pulled  for  the  drifting  one,  when  a  dreadful 
sight  met  our  eyes. 

In  the  bottom  of  the  boat  lay  a  dead  man,  with  his 
face  black  and  festering,  turned  up  to  the  sun.  In 
the  stern-sheets  was  another,  whom  we  at  first  thought 
dead  also,  but  the  voices  seemed  to  rouse  him,  and  he 
made  a  feeble  motion  of  the  hand. 

He  was  more  emaciated  than  I  have  ever  seen  any 
other  human  being,  and  had  on  only  a  pair  of  ragged 
trousers  and  the  remains  of  a  striped  cotton  under- 
shirt. We  soon  had  the  boat  alongside  our  vessel, 
and  the  live  man  out  of  it.  He  was  not  much  to  lift, 
for,  although  nearly  six  feet  high,  I  do  not  think  he 
weighed  more  than  eighty  pounds. 

The  boat  was  then  searched,  and  nothing  was  found 
in  her,  beside  the  dead  man,  but  some  empty  tins  and 
birds'  feathers. 

"What  shall  I  do  with  the  boat,  captain  ?"  He 
thought  a  moment,  and  then  said,  "  Turn  him  adrift ! 
It's  the  best  coffin  he  could  have !  Brace  round  the 
mainyard !  Keep  the  ship  her  course  again  !" 

The  poor  fellow  we  had  rescued  was  laid  on  a  mat- 
tress on  the  cabin-floor,  and  food  and  water  given  him 
in  small  quantities  until  he  somewhat  revived.  Then 
he  slept,  and  woke  again,  and  was  fed,  and  then  went 
to  sleep  again. 

The  old  black  cook  was  in  constant  attendance,  trot- 
ting back  and  forth  from  his  caboose  all  day  long  with 
broth  and  meases. 


VOYAGE   TO   THE  RIVER   OF  PLATE.         205 

He  said  to  me,  very  confidentially,  one  day,  "  Mister 
Mate,  dem  corposants  was  for  dat  boat,  an'  not  for 
us.  Dat  Finn  says  so,  an'  he  knows." 

In  a  few  days  the  rescued  man  was  able  to  sit  up, 
and  to  tell  us  how  he  came  to  be  in  such  miserable 
plight. 

He  proved  to  be  a  German,  and  could  speak  no 
English,  but  one  of  our  "  north  country"  hands  in- 
terpreted. 

The  man  was  the  sole  survivor  of  a  crew  of  fourteen. 
The  Bremen  brig  to  which  he  had  belonged  was  burnt 
at  sea ;  he  did  not  know  how  many  days  before,  but, 
as  far  as  we  could  make  out,  at  least  twenty. 

The  long-boat  in  which  he  was  found  had  her  gun- 
wale stove  in  getting  it  hurriedly  over  the  side.  They 
had  time  to  secure  only  a  few  tins  of  meat  and  a  little 
hard  bread,  but  no  water,  and  no  oars  or  sails,  the  fire 
driving  them  overboard  before  they  could  get  these 
into  the  boat. 

The  food  was  gone  in  a  week,  but  they  had  some 
water  from  rain  which  fell ;  the  bottom  of  the  boat 
being  celled  and  tight,  they  could  drink  what  gathered 
there. 

They  had  no  defence  whatever  from  the  sun,  and, 
four  days  after  the  food  gave  out,  the  captain  jumped 
overboard,  mad.  Then  the  men  began  to  die,  and 
those  who  had  the  strength  threw  the  dead  ones  over- 
board to  avoid  temptation.  They  caught  a  large  fish 
one  day  with  a  shirt  tied  into  a  bag,  and  the  same  day 
caught  two  gulls,  which  had  settled  in  the  boat  while 
they  were  lying  in  the  bottom. 

By  this  time  there  were  only  three  of  them  left. 
18 


206  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

They  ate  the  fish  and  the  birds,  and  then  lay  down 
to  die. 

This  was  his  story.  He  did  not  know  what  had  be- 
come of  the  third  man ;  but,  of  course,  he  had  gone 
overboard  in  his  delirium. 

In  less  than  four  weeks  after  this  we  were  in  the 
river  of  Plate,  and  Heinrich,  the  man  who  was  saved, 
was  hauling  at  the  braces  with  the  rest  and  taking  his 
rations  like  a  man. 

He  left  us  at  Buenos  Ayres,  and  shipped  on  board  a 
Hamburg  barque  to  go  home.  The  barque  was  wrecked 
before  she  got  out  of  the  river,  on  the  English  Bank, 
and  every  soul  on  board  was  lost.  When  the  cook 
heard  this,  he  shook  his  grizzled  old  head  and  said 
he  "knowed  dat  Heinrich  wasn't  born  for  no  good 
luck, — along  o'  dem  corposants  !" 

The  "  English  Bank,"  which  is  as  great  a  grave  for 
vessels  in  its  way  as  the  "  Goodwin  Sands,"  is  near 
the  mouth  of  the  river  of  Plate,  which  is  about  one 
hundred  and  sixty  miles  wide  at  its  mouth.  A 
great  current  runs  out  of  it,  and  with  head  winds 
vessels  have  a  hard  beat  of  it,  to  get  up  to  Montevideo 
Roads. 

Here  we  found  several  men-of-war  lying  some  two 
and  a  half  miles  out,  for  large  vessels  cannot  get  into 
the  harbor.  In  bad  weather  days  sometimes  pass  with- 
out any  communication  between  the  Roads  and  the 
shore. 

Montevideo  was  named  from  a  conical  hill  which 
overlooks  the  harbor,  and  which  has  a  fort  and  light- 
house on  its  summit.  It  is  not  much  of  a  mountain  ; 
but,  being  the  only  eminence  for  many  miles,  it  is  quite 


VOYAGE   TO   THE  RIVER  OF  PLATE.         207 

imposing.  No  doubt  the  early  Spanish  navigator  made 
the  exclamation  "  Monte  video !"  just  as  the  French- 
man, going  up  the  St.  Lawrence,  exclaimed  "  Que 
bee !"  and  the  names  were  fixed. 

The  American  flag-ship  boarded  us  to  get  the  news 
from  home  and  any  stray  newspapers  we  might  have, 
and  informed  us  that  a  "revolution"  was  going  on  on 
shore,  but  that  it  was  only  a  small  one,  and  would  prob- 
ably be  over  in  a  few  days. 

I  forget  whether  it  was  the  "  Blancos"  who  were 
causing  the  "  revolution"  because  the  "  Colorados"  were 
in  power,  or  the  contrary.  But,  at  any  rate,  the  whole 
thing  was  settled  within  a  week,  and  the  gates  were 
opened  again,  with  great  playing  of  bands,  vivas,  and 
popping  off  of  Roman  candles  and  rockets  in  broad 
daylight.  We  then  discharged  the  part  of  our  cargo 
destined  for  Montevideo  into  lighters  manned  by 
Genoese,  Maltese,  and  Mahonese  boatmen,  for  the  na- 
tives do  not  take  to  the  water,  and  then  we  went  up  to 
Buenos  Ayres  to  deliver  the  rest. 

At  Buenos  Ayres  the  water  is  so  shoal  that  we  lay 
throe  or  four  miles  off  and  discharged  into  lighters. 
These  then  went  into  water  about  four  feet  deep,  and 
carts  with  huge  wheels  came  out  to  them  and  took  the 
goods  on  shore. 

As  soon  as  we  were  discharged  we  went  back  to 
Montevideo,  a  very  pleasant  town  when  they  are  not 
having  a  revolution  and  shooting  one  another,  and  there 
awaited  our  return  cargo  of  hides  and  wool.  We  drew 
too  much  water  to  go  into  the  inner  harbor,  but  we 
were  snug  enough,  for  it  was  not  the  season  for  "  pam- 
peros," and  our  men  were  in  clover.  They  had  noth- 


208  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

ing  to  do  but  scrub  the  decks  in  the  morning.  Beef 
was  only  two  cents  a  pound,  and  a  hind- quarter  was 
always  hanging  at  our  main-stay,  from  which  every 
one  cut  as  he  pleased.  Meat  does  not  spoil  in  this 
climate,  but  dries  up  when  hung  in  the  air. 

The  cook  was  the  most  popular  man  in  the  ship, 
and  all  day  long  collops  of  beef  were  cooking  in  his 
galley,  while  a  rich  odor  of  frying  onions  rose  in  the 
air. 

While  waiting  here,  I  went  out  with  our  consignee 
to  his  "  estancia,"  some  leagues  in  the  country,  and  saw 
much  to  interest  me. 

In  Uruguay  the  breeding  of  sheep  is  generally  pur- 
sued in  preference  to  raising  cattle  and  horses,  but 
there  are  many  estancias  devoted  to  both,  and  Mr. 
S 's  was  one  of  them. 

We  left  his  house  in  the  town  quite  early  in  the 
morning.  We  were  on  horseback,  of  course,  and 
walked  through  the  streets,  out  of  the  gate  and  along 
the  pretty  suburb,  for  there  is  a  fine  for  galloping,  and 
these  horses  know  no  intermediate  gait.  Once  out  in 
the  open  country  we  started  off  at  a  loping  gallop, 
which  these  grass-fed,  common-looking  horses  can  keep 
up  for  hours.  The  country  was  slightly  rolling,  with 
occasional  ravines  or  quebradas,  made  by  the  winter 
rains,  but  dry  enough  now.  Indeed,  the  want  of  water 
for  the  stock  at  this  season  is  one  of  the  serious  draw- 
backs of  this  country,  often  causing  the  death  of  thou- 
sands of  sheep  and  cattle. 

Flocks  of  horned  plovers  flew  up  on  each  side  of 
the  road  as  we  passed,  with  a  curious  loud,  crackling, 
scolding  cry.  We  flushed  lots  of  partridges  of  two 


VOYAGE   TO    THE  RIVER   OF  PLATE.        209 

kinds,  and  we  saw  some  flocks  of  small  parrots,  and  a 
few  gallinazos,  or  turkey-buzzards. 

About  five  leagues  out  we  drew  up  at  an  estancia 

belonging  to  a  friend  of  Mr.  S .     Here  we  had 

mat6,  or  Paraguay  tea,  in  gourds  handsomely  mounted 
in  silver,  with  silver  "  bombillas"  to  suck  it  up  with. 
We  had  also  some  long  strips  of  beef,  roasted  on  an  iron 
spit  stuck  in  the  ground  before  a  fire,  with  English 
biscuit  from  a  tin  box,  followed  by  "  dulces"  or  sweet- 
meats. 

Here  Mr.  S 's  capitaz,  or  overseer,  met  us  by 

appointment.  Pie  was  a  Catalan,  long  in  the  country, 
and  was  arrayed  in  his  best  in  honor  of  the  occasion. 
As  he  wore  the  full  Gaucho  costume,  I  may  as  well 
describe  it.  His  hat  was  glazed,  with  a  high  conical 
crown  and  broad  rim,  and  was  decorated  with  ribbons 
and  a  gold  band.  Over  his  shoulders  was  a  poncho 
with  bright  stripes,  and  his  head  passed  through  a  slit 
in  the  middle.  This  fell  before  and  behind,  leaving 
the  arms  free,  and  showing  glimpses  at  the  side  of  a 
broad  belt,  which  confined  the  "  chiripa,"  which  is  a 
square  cloth  folded  round  the  loins  and  hanging  to  the 
knees.  Under  this  appeared  the  "  calzoncillos," — white 
cotton  drawers, — open  on  the  outside  to  the  knee,  finely 
worked,  and  trimmed  with  fringe.  Then  came  boots 
of  untanned  calf-skin,  with  immense  silver  spurs,  the 
rowels  about  two  inches  in  diameter.  In  the  belt  was 
stuck  a  most  murderous-looking  knife,  and  the  belt 
itself  was  profusely  ornamented  with  silver,  bearing 
besides  the  knife  a  pouch  for  tobacco,  flint  and  steel, 
and  cigarette  paper.  His  saddle,  bridle,  and  huge 
stirrups  were  covered  with  silver  coin  and  quaint  orna- 

18* 


210  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

ments  of  the  same  metal,  which  tinkled  at  every  move- 
ment of  horse  or  rider,  so  that  he  put  me  in  mind  of 
the  old  lady  who  rode  to  Banbury  Cross. 

We  were  soon  off  again,  and  by  this  time  were  well 
out  in  the  open  country.  We  saw  plenty  of  herds  of 
sheep,  and  thousands  of  cattle.  Their  Gaucho  herds- 
men were  either  sitting  motionless  on  horseback  or 
lying  stretched  out  on  the  ground,  their  horses  standing 
by  them,  with  their  long  hide  bridles  trailing.  They 
were  civil  enough  when  we  passed  close  enough  to 
speak  to  them,  but  were  generally  truculent-looking 
fellows.  Indeed,  when  their  blood  is  up,  or  there  is  a 
good  chance  for  plunder,  they  know  how  to  use  their 
long  knives  very  well,  or  report  belies  them. 

There  were  occasionally  a  few  bushes  or  small  trees, 
and  frequent  patches  of  giant  thistles,  as  high  as  a 
man's  shoulders,  and  growing  densely ;  but,  for  the 
most  part,  only  grass,  now  burnt  brown  by  the  sun. 

The  thistles,  when  dry,  furnish  the  principal  fuel  for 
cooking,  and  the  patches  are  burnt  over  by  the  Gauchos 
very  often,  the  finest  and  sweetest  grass  growing  up  from 
their  ashes. 

Wherever  any  attempt  was  made  at  cultivation,  a 
ditch  was  dug  round  the  field,  and  on  the  parapet 
formed  by  the  earth  thrown  from  it  was  planted  closely 
a  flat-leafed  and  very  thorny  cactus,  which  grew  lux- 
uriantly, and  formed  a  perfect  barrier  to  cattle. 

Early  in  the  afternoon  we  arrived  at  the  estancia. 
The  house  was  a  one-story,  flat-roofed  building,  -of 
adobes,  plastered  with  mud.  It  was  about  thirty  feet 
square,  with  two  or  three  small  windows  placed  high 
up,-  and  an  entrance,  in  which  was  hung  at  night  or  in 


VOYAGE  TO   THE  RIVER  OF  PLATE.         211 

bad  weather,  a  stiff,  dried  hide.  Near  the  house  were 
some  small  huts  for  the  Gauchos,  and  two  large  corrals, 
in  which  were  kept  the  horses  required  for  daily  use, 
and  any  cattle  which  required  to  be  inspected. 

Some  carts  with  huge  wheels,  and  made  almost  en- 
tirely without  iron,  with  long,  narrow  bodies,  formed  of 
wattles,  and  roofed  with  raw  hide,  stood  about.  These 
were  used  to  take  the  hides  and  wool  to  Montevideo 
to  be  shipped. 

The  main  house  had  two  rooms,  the  inner  one  being 
the  sleeping  apartment,  furnished  with  beds  made  of 
hides,  stretched  on  a  frame.  The  other  was  used  for 
cooking  and  eating,  and  as  a  store-room  for  saddles, 
bridles,  lassos,  branding-irons,  and  all  sorts  of  tools. 
It  was  altogether  a  very  primitive  establishment. 

Soon  after  we  arrived  we  had  a  hearty  meal  of  beef, 
stewed  pumpkin,  biscuits  from  a  tin,  and  mate",  which 
takes  the  place  of  tea  and  coffee,  although  the  Gauchos 
are  by  no  means  averse  to  Brazilian  rum  when  they  can 
get  it. 

I  was  so  sore  and  tired  from  being  unused  to  riding 

that  I  did  not  go  out  that  evening,  but  Mr.  S and 

the  capitaz  did,  and  were  soon  deep  in  the  business  of 
the  estancia,  reckoning  up  the  calves,  colts,  and  lambs, 
and  the  clip  of  wool. 

The  next  morning  the  sun  rose  clear  and  hot,  as 
usual.  We  had  our  mate"  early,  and  then  sallied  out. 

The  Pe"ons  or  Gaucho  herdsmen  were  mounting  their 
horses  and  starting  to  look  after  the  stock,  to  see  that 
none  had  strayed  during  the  night  beyond  the  limits 

of  the  large  tract  owned  by  Mr.  S .  The  cattle  are 

all  branded  with  private  marks,  and  occasionally  there 


212  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

is  a  general  meeting  of  all  the  proprietors  for  many 
leagues  round,  at  which  strayed  cattle  are  exchanged. 

After  this  is  accomplished,  there  is  generally  much 
drinking,  guitar-playing,  dancing,  gambling,  and  fre- 
quently fighting,  with  ugly  cuts  and  stabs  from  the  long 
cuchillos,  so  handy  in  every  belt. 

About  ten  in  the  morning  the  Peons  came  back  from 
their  first  round,  put  their  horses  in  the  corral,  and  re- 
ported their  observations  in  regard  to  the  cattle  to  the 
capitaz.  Then  they  had  their  beef  and  matS,  the  latter, 
as  a  treat,  with  sugar,  on  account  of  the  visit  of  the 
"patron."  After  this  they  wrapped  their  heads  in 
their  ponchos,  and  sprawled  out  in  the  hot  sun  on  the 
ground  to  take  their  siesta  till  about  three  o'clock,  when 
they  made  the  same  round  as  in  the  morning.  Except 
at  the  times  for  branding,  killing,  or  shearing,  this  is 
their  life,  without  change.  Not  very  attractive,  one 
would  suppose,  and  yet  they  think  themselves  particu- 
larly fine  fellows,  and  have  an  ill-concealed  contempt 
for  all  strangers. 

Falling  into  a  talk  with  one  of  them,  I  gave  him  a 
few  cigars,  which  made  him  communicative.  He  asked 
me  where  I  came  from,  and  when  I  told  him  "  America 
del  Norte,"  he  said  " How  far  is  that?"  I  replied  that 
by  the  way  I  had  come  it  was  several  thousand  leagues. 
"  You  never  rode  that  horse  all  the  way,"  he  replied, 
and  then  sauntered  off,  evidently  thinking  I  was  trying 
to  humbug  him. 

A  few  milch-cows  were  kept  in  the  corral,  but  they 
gave  very  little  milk,  which  appeared  to  be  used  only 
for  making  a  very  poor,  tasteless  cheese. 

There  are  quantities  of  partridges,  large  and  small, 


VOYAGE   TO   THE  RIVER   OF  PLATE.         213 

and  deer  of  a  small  kind  in  plenty  :  but  they  scarcely 
ever  eat  them,  and  live  upon  beef,  cut  from  the  carcass 
in  strips  and  broiled  before  the  fire.  This,  with  mate, 
and  sometimes  a  little  stewed  pumpkin,  or  watermelon, 
and,  occasionally,  some  bread,  satisfies  them. 

The  peach-tree  grows  very  well  here,  and  there  were 
quite  a  number  near  the  house.  The  fruit  is  very  small 
and  insipid,  however,  and  the  trees  are  used  for  fuel,  as 
they  grow  very  rapidly  from  the  seed. 

Next  morning,  Mr.  S having  concluded  his 

business,  we  started  on  our  return  to  Montevideo,  and 
I  got  on  board  ship  again,  tired  and  sore,  but  gratified 
at  having  seen  what  was  to  me  a  new  phase  of  life. 

Soon  afterwards  we  began  to  receive  our  cargo.  As 
the  winds  were  light  and  the  current  very  strong,  we 
had  the  studding-sail  halyards  and  other  small  rope 
bent  together,  and  made  fast  to  a  fourteen-gallon 
breaker,  so  that,  when  one  of  the  large  lighters  failed 
to  fetch  the  ship,  we  would  veer  the  breaker  astern. 
They  then  got  hold  of  the  rope  and  warped  up  to  us 
by  it ;  but  it  was  slow  business  getting  our  cargo  here. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

I  FALL  INTO  THE  COMMAND  OF  THE  SHIP,  BUT  SUFFER 
A   GREAT   MISFORTUNE   AT  THE  SAME  TIME. 

IT  was  April,  and  the  autumn  of  that  hemisphere, 
when  we  were  ready  to  sail  from  Montevideo,  and  the 
weather  was  beginning  to  become  unsettled. 

Finally  we  cleared,  and  sailed  the  next  morning  at 
daylight,  going  rapidly  out  of  the  river,  past  Lobos, 
Maldonado,  and  Flores  Island,  with  a  fair  wind  and 
strong  current.  Off  Cape  Santa  Maria  we  got  a  stiff 
blow  from  southeast,  which  ran  us  rapidly  up  the  coast. 
During  the  night  we  must  have  been  set  more  in  to- 
wards the  coast  than  we  allowed  for,  and  next  morning, 
while  running  under  short  sail  between  Cape  Santa 
Maria  and  Rio  Grande  do  Sul,  we  made  out  a  vessel  to 
the  westward  apparently  dismasted.  She  was  a  long 
way  off,  and  before  edging  down  to  speak  her  we  got 
a  cast  of  the  deep-sea  lead,  and  found  we  were  in  only 
seventy-five  fathoms.  The  coast  is  very  shoal  here  a 
long  way  out  of  sight  of  land,  and  the  nasty  sea  and 
color  of  the  water  were  enough  to  show  that  we  were 
on  soundings.  "We  should,  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances, have  hauled  off  at  once,  but  we  did  not  like  to 
pass  by  a  vessel  in  distress  until  we  had  found  out 
something  about  her. 

On  coming  down  to  the  vessel  we  found,  to  our 
intense  surprise,  that  she  was  a  regular  steamboat, 
214 


I  FALL  INTO   COMMAND   OF  THE  SHIP.     215 

with  a  hurricane-deck  and  guards,  with  sponsons  under 
them. 

She  was  at  anchor;  her  smoke-stack  gone,  as  well 
as  her  boats,  and  her  fires  evidently  out,  for  her  men 
were  seen  to  be  bailing  by  means  of  a  coal-bucket, 
worked  with  a  whip. 

Her  guards  were  all  knocked  up,  and  her  paddle- 
boxes  stove,  while  many  of  the  buckets  were  gone  from 
her  wheels.  It  was  evident,  from  her  depth  in  the 
water,  and  from  the  loggy  way  in  which  she  rolled 
and  plunged  to  the  seas,  that  she  was  half  full  of 
water,  and  would  probably  not  float  many  hours.  The 
people  on  board  her  were  making  signs  to  us  in  a 
frantic  way,  which,  of  course,  meant  that  they  required 
immediate  assistance. 

After  a  little  consultation  the  captain  determined  to 
try  to  save  them.  We  got  another  cast  of  the  lead, 
and  found  we  were  in  twenty-three  fathoms ;  and, 
as  our  chains  had  not  been  unbent,  we  concluded  to 
wear  ship,  and  then,  bracing  up  on  the  port-tack,  to 
stand  up  abreast  of  her  again,  let  go  our  anchors,  and 
clew  up  and  furl. 

It  was  near  noon  before  we  worked  up  into  the  right 
position,  the  ship  being  almost  under  water  from  the 
spray  and  seas  which  we  took  on  board  in  trying  to 
windward.  While  we  were  doing  this  the  wind  was 
sensibly  abating;  but  the  sea  was  still  running  very 
high,  and  was  likely  to  do  so  for  many  hours  to  come. 

When  we  finally  brought  up  at  our  anchors  we  were 
not  more  than  sixty  fathoms  from  the  steamboat.  The 
Highflyer  was  a  thoroughly  well-found  vessel,  especially 
in  ground-tackle,  and  we  had  good  holding-ground ; 


216  THIRTY  TEARS  AT  SEA. 

but  of  course  we  should  never  have  anchored  in  such 
a  position  except  to  save  life.  The  steamboat  would 
probably  founder  before  our  eyes,  with  all  hands,  if 
we  did  not  work  quick. 

By  dint  of  watching  the  sea  closely  we,  with  great 
difficulty,  lowered  a  fine  quarter-boat  we  carried,  and 
I  went  in  her,  with  Brown  and  three  others.  After 
working  as  hard  as  ever  I  did  in  my  life,  and  at  con- 
siderable risk  to  ourselves,  we  managed  to  take  off  the 
shipwrecked  crew,  making  two  trips.  They  were  all 
taken  over  our  taffrail  by  being  slung  in  a  bowline. 

I  was  the  last  one  to  come  out  of  the  boat ;  and  not 
having  any  one  to  bear  her  off,  while  I  slung  myself, 
she  was  stove  against  our  counter.  She  filled  imme- 
diately, and  the  weight  of  water  in  her  at  the  next 
surge  snapped  the  spanker-sheet,  which  had  been  hove 
to  us  for  a  painter,  and  we  lost  her. 

It  was  now  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  we  concluded  to 
hold  on  where  we  were  until  the  sea  ran  down  more,  and 
we  could  get  our  anchors. 

There  were  fifteen  in  all  saved  from  the  steamer,  which 
sank  during  the  night.  She  was  the  Condor,  a  small 
boat,  built  to  run  on  Chesapeake  Bay,  and  was  being 
sent  out  to  ply  between  Montevideo  and  Buenos  Ayres. 
She  had  last  put  in  at  St.  Catherine's  for  coal,  and  was 
caught  by  the  southeaster  and  speedily  disabled  soon 
after  leaving  that  port.  She  was,  of  course,  entirely 
unfit  for  ocean  navigation,  as  any  steamer  with  guards 
must  be,  and  they  were  endeavoring  to  "  sneak"  her 
down  to  her  destination,  dodging  from  port  to  port. 

There  were  too  many  people  taken  from  the  Condor 
for  us  to  carry  them  to  the  United  States  without 


/  FALL  INTO   COMMAND   OF  THE  SHIP.     217 

danger  t>f  fulling  short  of  provisions  and  water.  So, 
when  the  weather  moderated  and  the  sea  went  down 
sufficiently  for  us  to  get  our  anchors,  we  made  sail  for 
St.  Catherine's  to  land  them. 

The  island  of  St.  Catherine,  in  the  south  of  Brazil, 
shuts  in  a  bay  forming  a  fine  harbor.  There  are  a 
number  of  small  islands  dotted  about  the  bay,  some 
with  half-ruined  forts  upon  them,  and  the  scenery  is 
very  picturesque. 

Our  naval  vessels  often  touch  here  for  coal  and  sup- 
plies, and  they  generally  take  advantage  of  the  charm- 
ing bay  for  boat-exercise.  We  foimd  one  of  our 
sloops-of-war  there,  belonging  to  the  Brazil  squadron, 
and  I  went  on  board  her  to  see  about  the  disposal  of 
our  passengers.  I  had  also  heard  from  her  boat,  which 
boarded  us  on  our  arrival,  that  some  of  my  old  ship- 
mates of  the  M were  in  her. 

The  captain  of  the  sloop-of-war  readily  consented  to 
give  the  shipwrecked  crew  a  passage  to  Rio  Janeiro, 
whence  they  could  easily  get  home.  Having  settled 
that,  I  took  the  opportunity  of  having  a  little  talk  with 
my  old  shipmates. 

There  were  two  Brazilian  steam-gunboats  in  the 
harbor,  and  they  had  that  morning  had  some  half-wild 
cattle  driven  down  from  the  mountain  to  the  beach, 
near  the  anchorage,  to  be  killed  for  fresh  rations.  In 
shooting  them  with  muskets,  they  had  managed  to  fire 
so  wild  as  to  send  one  or  two  balls  on  board  the  Amer- 
ican sloop.  Fortunately,  the  shots  did  no  damage,  but 
her  captain  sent  to  the  senior  Brazilian  officer  to  inform 
him  of  the  fact. 

While  I  was  standing  on  the  quarter-deck  talking 

K  19 


218  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

to  my  old  shipmate  in  the  M ,  Lieutenant  I , 

a  Brazilian  officer,  in  full  dress,  came  on  board  to 
apologize  for  their  bad  firing,  which  apology  he  deliv- 
ered in  the  following  choice  English :  "  Sare,  my  com- 
mander sorry  too  much.  The  man  go  to  shoot  the 
bull.  He  not  shoot  the  bull,  but  shoot  your  sheep .' 
The  commandant  now  gave  order,  very  severe,  that  the 
like  not  occur  on  your  board  again." 

The  little  gentleman  was  assured  that  the  apology 
was  perfectly  satisfactory,  and  went  away,  evidently 
much  pleased  with  his  proficiency  in  English. 

Having  disposed  of  our  passengers,  we  were  in  haste 
to  be  off".  But  first  we  bought  a  lot  of  fruit,  sweet 
potatoes,  and  other  vegetables  from  an  old  fellow  named 

C ,  an  American,  who  owned  a  plantation  on  the 

island,  where  he  raised  coffee  principally. 

Unless  report  belied  him,  he  was  a  pretty  hard  char- 
acter. It  was  said  that  he  had  run  away  with  and  sold 
an  American  whaling  brig,  of  which  he  was  master, 
and  with  the  proceeds  had  purchased  the  estate  and 
negroes,  which  he  had  now  long  owned.  If  this  was 
true,  he  was  probably  among  the  first  to  take  advantage 
of  the  want  of  an  extradition  treaty  with  Brazil. 

I  noticed  that  he  had  a  queer  way  of  carrying  his 
head,  and  was  told  that  it  was  the  result  of  a  severe 
wound  in  the  neck,  received  in  the  following  manner : 
he  was  lying  in  bed  at  night  in  his  one-storied  house, 
with  the  doors  and  windows  all  open  for  the  sake  of 
the  air,  and  reading  by  a  lamp.  After  a  time,  feeling 
sleepy,  he  blew  out  the  light,  and  turned  over  on  his 
pillow.  Just  at  that  moment  he  felt  a  tremendous 
blow  strike  the  pillow  beside  him,  which  was  evidently 


I  FALL  INTO   COMMAND   OF  THE  SHIP.      219 

intended  to  cut  his  head  off,  for  it  was  made  with  a 
broad-axe.  The  point  of  the  axe  just  cut  through  the 
thick  muscle  of  the  neck,  missing  the  large  vessels,  but 
it  was  a  narrow  escape. 

People  had  no  doubt  that  the  wound  was  inflicted 
by  one  of  his  own  slaves,  for  he  was  fearfully  severe 
with  them.  On  leaving  our  vessel,  in  his  whale-boat, 
after  bringing  the  supplies,  the  slave  crew  did  not  give 
way  as  sharply  as  he  seemed  to  desire,  the  darkies 

being  occupied  in  gazing  at  the  strange  people.  C 

seized  a  heavy  oak  stretcher,  and,  walking  forward  on 
the  thwarts,  whacked  them  with  it  over  the  face  and 
head  in  the  most  savage  manner,  as  long  as  we  could 
see  him,  and  until  he  turned  a  point,  a  third  of  a  mile 
away. 

This  treatment  was  the  more  remarkable,  as  the 
Brazilians  among  whom  he  lived  are,  as  a  rule,  very 
easy  with  their  slaves. 

That  same  morning  there  came  on  board  of  us,  on  a 
begging  expedition,  an  American  who  had  long  before 
deserted  from  a  whaler,  married  a  half-breed  Brazilian, 
and  settled  down  there.  A  more  wretched  object  I 
have  seldom  seen,  as  he  was  filthy,  half  clothed  in 
ragged  slave-cloth,  and  was  suffering  from  elephant- 
iasis, his  leg  and  foot  being  four  times  the  natural  size. 

He  earned  a  precarious  living  by  picking  coffee  for 
the  different  neighboring  proprietors,  fished  a  little, 
and  raised  a  little  mandioc  and  a  few  plantains. 

He  seemed  especially  to  crave  our  salt  meat,  and  we 
gave  him  a  little  ;  but  I  could  not  feel  much  sympathy 
for  a  man  who  had  allowed  himself  to  become  so  de- 
graded, and  he  soon  left  us  in  his  leaky  little  canoe. 


220  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

He  was  one  of  many  runaway  sailors  who  are  to  be 
found  in  all  sorts  of  out-of-the-way  corners  of  the 
world,  generally  more  degraded  than  the  natives  with 
whom  they  have  identified  themselves. 

After  remaining  twenty-four  hours  in  St.  Catherine's, 
we  sailed  again  for  New  York,  the  boats  of  the  sloop- 
of-war  giving  us  a  tow  out  clear  of  the  point.  We 
came  on  our  coast  at  the  most  pleasant  time  of  the 
year,  and  nothing  unusual  occurred  until  we  had 
crossed  the  Gulf  Stream  and  were  approaching  the  land. 
One  beautiful  day  we  were  touching  up  the  paint-work 
and  making  the  ship  tidy  to  go  into  port.  The  steward 
had  received  orders  to  clean  up  the  cabin  and  pantry, 
and  in  doing  so  temporarily  removed  the  short  ladder 
which  led  down  into  our  trunk-cabin.  The  captain, 
having  occasion  to  go  below,  and  not  perceiving  that 
the  ladder  was  gone,  stepped  off,  and  fell  heavily  on 
the  cabin-floor.  Both  arms  were  broken,  and  he  re- 
mained insensible  for  a  long  time. 

I  took  command  of  the  ship,  and  on  arriving  at 
quarantine  next  day  sent  the  captain  up  to  town  in  a 
tug,  whence  he  was  taken  to  his  home  in  Brooklyn. 

New  York  Bay  and  Staten  Island  always  look 
beautiful  in  early  June,  and  I  think  I  never  saw  them 
more  so  than  on  this  day. 

Spite  of  my  real  sorrow  for  Captain  Henry's  acci- 
dent, I  could  not  help  feeling  joyous,  for  I  hoped  to 
see  my  pretty  Ella  that  night,  and  to  be  her  husband 
within  a  day  or  two. 

By  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  had  reached  the 
dock,  and  I  went  on  shore  to  report  the  ship  at  the 
owners'  counting-house  and  enter  at  the  custom-house. 


I  FALL  INTO   COMMAND   OF  THE  SHIP.      221 

As  soon  as  I  could  get  off,  I  hurried  round  to  John 
Street.  To  my  surprise,  masons  were  at  work  on  the 
very  ground  where  the  house  had  stood  in  which  Ella 
and  her  mother  lived.  Going  into  a  neighboring  store, 
I  asked  the  reason  of  it,  and  was  told  that  the  establish- 
ment had  been  burned  at  night  two  months  before,  and 
that  the  old  lady  and  her  daughter,  who  lived  up-stairs, 
had  both  perished  in  the  flames. 

I  suppose  I  must  have  fainted, — if  I  did,  it  was  for 
the  first  and  last  time  in  my  life, — for  I  next  found 
myself  stretched  on  a  lounge,  my  shirt  open,  and  peo- 
ple bustling  about  with  water  and  fans. 

The  young  man  who  had  told  me  about  the  fire  was 
bewailing  his  thoughtlessness,  as  if  he  was  to  know 
how  much  his  information  concerned  me. 

I  am  not  ashamed  to  confess  that  I  had  a  good  cry, 
and  then  thanking  the  people  for  their  kindness  and 
sympathy,  I  managed  to  get  away  and  on  board  ship. 

This  was  the  hardest  blow  I  ever  had  in  my  life.  I 
felt  it  much  jnore  than  the  loss  of  my  poor  mother,  for 
I  was  a  mere  boy  when  that  occurred. 

Mr.  Archer  came  on  board  the  ship  in  the  course  of 
the  next  day,  and  was  very  considerate  and  sympa- 
thetic when  he  heard  all  the  circumstances. 

He  had  come  to  say  that  the  doctors  did  not  think 
that  Captain  Henry  would  recover  from  his  injuries  for 
a  long  time,  if  ever,  and  the  owners  had  in  consequence 
decided  to  offer  me  the  command  of  the  ship. 

Of  course  I  could  not  help  feeling  gratified  and 
elated  at  this;  but  my  feelings  would  have  been  very 
different  had  Ella  been  alive  to  sympathize  with  me 
and  to  share  in  my  good  fortune. 

19* 


222  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

It  was  an  excellent  thing  for  me,  however,  to  have 
the  care  of  the  ship,  and  her  preparation  for  another 
voyage,  to  distract  my  mind  and  to  keep  me  from  dwell- 
ing too  much  upon  my  loss.  It  must  be  remembered 
how  few  friends  I  had  in  the  world,  and  how  thor- 
oughly I  had  become  wrapped  up  in  the  only  respect- 
able woman,  except  my  poor  mother,  with  whom  I  had 
ever  been  on  intimate  terms.  I  had  cherished  visions 
of  so  much  happiness  with  her,  and  now  I  had  not  even 
the  consolation  of  knowing  where  her  remains  were. 
But  I  felt  as  if  I  must  do  something  to  perpetuate  her 
memory,  and  so  I  purchased  a  plat  in  Greenwood  and 
put  up  a  handsome  stone  to  her  memory  and  that  of 
her  mother,  just  as  if  they  were  lying  beneath  it. 

The  owners  told  me  that  they  intended  to  send  the 
Highflyer,  with  a  cargo  of  flour  and  other  provisions, 
to  the  Mauritius,  whence  she  was  to  go  to  Manilla  and 
load  for  New  York. 

I  was  anxious  enough  to  get  away  and  to  be  actively 
employed,  and  I  soon  reported  the  vessel  ready  for 
cargo.  The  same  crew,  in  the  main,  remained  by  the 
ship,  and  a  chief  mate  was  appointed  who  had  good 
recommendations,  and  who  turned  out  to  be  a  very  fine 
fellow. 

I  was  now  busied  getting  my  charts,  having  my 
chronometer  rated,  and  seeing  that  everything  was  on 
board  and  in  order  for  a  long  voyage. 

We  were  to  have,  as  a  passenger,  a  youth  of  nineteen, 
who  was  to  go  out  to  a  great  American  house  in  Ma- 
nilla, and  I  was  privately  recommended  by  one  of  the 
owners,  whose  nephew  the  young  man  was,  to  keep  a 
sharp  eye  upon  him,  and  especially  to  see  that  he  got 


/  FALL  INTO   COMMAND   OF  THE  SHIP,      223 

no  liquor.  It  appeared  that  he  had  acquired  all  sorts 
of  bad  habits  in  New  York,  and  his  friends  had  deter- 
mined to  send  him  on  this  voyage  in  hopes  of  reforming 
him,  so  I  was,  accordingly,  selected  for  the  post  of  "  bear- 
leader." It  was,  at  any  rate,  a  satisfactory  testimonial 
to  my  own  character  for  steadiness ;  but,  for  all  that,  I 
did  not  accept  the  appointment  with  a  very  good  grace. 
Before  sailing  I  went  over  to  Brooklyn  to  see  my  old 
captain,  who  was  still  bedridden  from  his  accident.  I 
told  him  I  felt  rather  badly  at  taking  the  ship  from  him  ; 
but,  like  the  good  fellow  he  was,  he  said,  "  Never  mind 
me!  If  I  can  only  get  well,  I  can  easily  get  another 
ship ;  but  this  is  a  chance  which  would  seldom  come  to 
you,  and  I  am  heartily  glad  things  have  turned  out  so 
well  for  you." 


CHAPTER    XX. 

MY  FIRST  VOYAGE  AS  CAPTAIN. 

I  SAILED  from  New  York  in  July,  and  had  a  most 
pleasant  passage  to  Mauritius,  not  taking  in  top-gallant 
sails  more  than  once  during  the  whole  time. 

We  were  deep-loaded  with  flour,  salt-fish,  bacon, 
cheese,  and  oats  and  baled  hay,  and  the  ship  was  rather 
dull  in  consequence.  A  most  capital  voyage  it  was  for  the 
owners,  however,  for  we  hit  the  market  there  exactly, 
and  people  were  fighting  for  our  cargo  as  soon  as  we 
arrived.  Having  made  rather  a  long  passage,  we  were 
fortunately  delayed  until  about  a  fortnight  after  a  most 
terrible  hurricane  had  passed  over  the  island.  Indeed, 
we  had  encountered  the  swell  from  it  some  hundreds  of 
miles  to  the  southward.  There  were  many  wrecks  in 
the  harbor  of  Port  Louis,  several  vessels  having  found- 
ered at  their  moorings,  with  great  loss  of  life.  Trees 
were  still  lying  uprooted,  crops  of  sugar-cane  levelled 
with  the  ground,  buildings  unroofed,  and  the  town  look- 
ing as  if  it  had  passed  through  a  severe  bombardment. 

Mauritius  presents  many  attractions  to  a  visitor.  The 
mass  of  the  people  are  of  French  descent,  and  a  good 
deal  of  gayety  is  always  going  on,  while  the  ladies  are 
noted  for  their  beauty.  One  of  our  naval  officers,  on 
his  way  out  to  China,  in  command  of  a  "schooner- 
brig,"  once  put  in  here  to  replace  his  main-boom,  which 
he  had  lost  off  the  Cape.  Owing  either  to  the  uncom- 
224 


MY  FIRST   VOYAGE  AS  CAPTAIN.  225 

mon  laziness  of  the  carpenters,  or  to  the  uncommon 
attractions  found  on  shore,  he  was  over  sixty  days 
in  repairing  damages,  so  that  when  he  arrived  on  the 
station  and  reported  himself  and  the  cause  of  his  de- 
tention, the  commanding  officer  sarcastically  inquired 
whether  he  had  been  forced  to  wait  for  the  spar  to 
grow. 

The  scenery  of  the  island  is  very  striking,  and  the 
foliage  varied  and  luxuriant.  Over  the  hills  and  forests 
tower  the  strangely-jagged  peaks  of  the  mountains; 
"  Brabant"  being  the  highest,  and  "  Peter  Botte"  the 
most  curious. 

Among  the  books  supplied  to  my  passenger  and  ward 
by  his  friends,  to  amuse  him  and  improve  his  mind  on 
the  voyage  out,  was  "  Paul  and  Virginia."  The  youth's 
mind  was  so  fired  by  the  love-story,  that  nothing  would 
do  but  he  must  make  a  pedestrian  trip,  to  try  to  iden- 
tify the  localities  mentioned. 

It  was  with  great  reluctance  that  I  gave  my  consent, 
and  I  did  so,  at  last,  only  because  I  thought  it  would 
be  better  than  leaving  him  to  the  temptations  of  Port 
Louis.  I  made  a  stipulation  that  he  was  to  be  back  in 
five  days,  and  then  supplied  him  with  a  little  money, 
from  the  stock  entrusted  to  me  to  be  used  at  my  dis- 
cretion, and  he  set  out  with  his  knapsack  on  his  back, 
in  high  glee. 

On  the  evening  of  the  second  day  after  his  departure 
a  policeman  came  on  board,  and  said  there  was  a  young 
man  in  the  jail,  who  said  I  knew  him,  and  who  begged 
I  would  come  at  once  to  see  him.  I  went  on  shore 
with  the  officer,  and  found  my  precious  passenger  in 
the  jail  sure  enough,  sick  and  sorry,  his  money  and 


226  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

clothes  all  gone,  and  dressed  in  very  ragged  and  dirty 
shirt  and  trousers. 

It  appeared  that  he  had  been  picked  up  by  the  police, 
in  the  very  worst  of  the  "  back -slums"  of  Port  Louis, 
drunk  and  disorderly,  and  having  been  thoroughly 
plucked.  Paying  his  fine,  I  had  him  released,  and 
then  took  him  to  a  bath,  and  on  board  ship,  where  he 
spent  the  remainder  of  our  stay  at  Port  Louis. 

This  was  the  nearest  he  came  to  exploring  the  ro- 
mantic glens  and  forests  immortalized  by  Bernardin 
St.  Pierre,  and  I  think  I  am  justified  in  saying  that 
the  perusal  of  "Paul  and  Virginia"  is  calculated  to 
have  a  bad  effect  on  an  ill-regulated  mind. 

There  was  nothing  at  Port  Louis  which  offered  as 
cargo  to  Manilla,  and  if  there  had  been  I  could  not 
have  taken  it,  as  the  law  did  not  at  that  period  allow 
foreign  vessels  to  bring  any  cargo  into  the  Philippine 
Islands.  The  decrees  and  regulations  governing  com- 
merce there  are  very  curious  at  times.  They  depend 
principally  upon  the  will  of  the  captain-general  and 
the  director  of  the  hacienda, — sometimes,  when  these 
gentlemen  see  fit,  on  the  home  government.  The  regu- 
lations are  liable  to  be  changed,  too,  at  any  time,  with- 
out notice.  When  such  arbitrary  conduct  is  complained 
of,  one  is  told  that  it  is  a  "  cosa  de  Espafla,"  a  Spanish 
thing,  which  it  is  not  given  to  foreigners  and  outsiders 
to  fathom. 

As  we  were  going  to  Manilla  in  the  time  of  the  north- 
east monsoon,  I  determined  to  take  the  passage  round 
by  Palawan,  instead  of  beating  up  the  China  Sea. 
During  all  the  time  since  I  left  New  York,  having  a 
careful  mate,  I  had  read  a  great  deal,  but  on  this  pas- 


MF  FIRST   VOYAGE  AS  CAPTAIN.  227 

sage  I  had  to  put  away  my  books  and  be  on  the  alert 
night  and  day. 

It  is,  at  any  time,  rather  ticklish  navigation  to 
enter  the  Malayan  Archipelago — say  between  Lorn- 
bock  and  Sumbawa — up  by  Bouro  and  the  Molucca 
passage,  past  the  Sooloo  Islands  and  Mindoro  Sea,  and 
out  again  between  Mindoro  and  Palawan. 

We  must  always  add  to  the  dangers  of  hidden  reefs, 
sand-banks,  shoals,  and  uncertain  and  rapid  currents, 
those  to  be  incurred,  at  that  time,  from  the  Sooloo 
pirates. 

Freebooters  since  the  Portuguese,  Dutch,  and  Span- 
iards first  knew  them,  they  have  always  been  a  terror 
to  the  merchant  sailor.  But  a  very  few  years  before 
the  time  I  speak  of  they  had  so  handled  a  Spanish 
frigate,  which  had  been  sent  down  to  chastise  them,  that 
she  had  to  be  taken  all  the  way  to  Whampoa  to  be 
docked.  She  had  run  upon  a  sand-bank,  and  the  tide 
leaving  her,  she  fell  over  so  that  her  bilge  was  exposed, 
and  she  could  not  fight  a  gun.  In  this  condition  she 
was  caught  by  a  swarm  of  the  light-  draught  Sooloo 
proas,  which,  with  their  long  brass  guns,  soon  made  her 
bottom  look  like  a  nutmeg  grater.  When  the  tide  rose, 
however,  her  crew  managed  to  plug  the  shot-holes  and 
to  float  her  off,  the  pirates  retiring  as  soon  as  her  guns 
would  bear. 

Some  time  after  the  Spaniards  got  out  some  steam- 
gunboats,  built  in  England,  and  gave  the  sultan  of 
Sooloo  a  good  thrashing  in  return.  But  the  snake  is 
only  "scotched,"  not  killed,  arid  they  are  at  heart  as 
much  pirates  as  ever,  the  Spaniards  having  to  keep 
quite  a  force  in  commission  to  repress  them. 


228  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

I  have  mentioned  that  the  disabled  frigate  had  to  go 
to  Whampoa  to  be  docked.  The  Spanish  had  a  very 
nice  dock  at  Cavite1,  a  few  miles  from  Manilla,  but  I 
was  told,  when  about  to  build  it  they  had  measured  a 
small  sloop-of-war  they  happened  to  have  there,  and 
built  the  dock  to  fit  her,  so  the  frigate  (rather  a  small 
one,  too)  would  not  fit  it.  I  do  not  vouch  for  the 
truth  of  this,  which  I  tell  as  it  was  told  to  me.  If  it 
is  true,  I  suppose  it  is  another  "  cosa  de  Espafia." 

The  city  of  Manilla  is  built  at  the  mouth  of  the 
river  Pasig,  on  low-lying,  sandy  soil.  The  bay  is  long, 
and  in  many  places  shallow,  so  that  vessels  of  any 
great  draught  have  to  anchor  a  mile  or  more  from  the 
city.  As  soon  as  we  anchored  the  port  captain's  boat 
boarded  us,  and  went  through  the  usual  formalities. 
I  really  almost  thought  it  was  the  same  boat  which  I 
have  described  in  speaking  of  Mahon. 

The  same  green  painted  awning,  and  the  same  officials 
reclining  beneath  it  in  the  same  magnificent  way. 
There  was  one  difference :  they  were  smoking  cheroots 
instead  of  paper  cigars. 

Soon  after  they  left  I  took  one  of  the  "  bancas,"  a 
sort  of  canoe  with  rounded  mat  covers  to  protect  the 
passengers  from  the  sun,  and  went  on  shore  to  find  my 
consignee.  I  took  with  me  my  passenger  and  his  bag- 
gage, glad  enough  to  deliver  him  in  good  condition. 

Passing  up  between  two  piers,  which  are  carried  far 
out  into  the  bay,  and  between  which  the  Pasig  flows, 
we  were  halted  at  the  Garrita,  a  guard-house  on  the 
pier,  where  we  were  examined  by  the  officers  of  a 
"felua,"  or  gunboat,  stationed  there.  They  opened 
the  trunk  of  my  passenger,  but  did  not  minutely  ex- 


MY  FIRST   VOYAGE  AS  CAPTAIN.  229 

amine  the  contents,  merely  asking  if  we  had  any  Bibles 
or  religious  tracts,  or  any  pistols,  it  appearing  that  all 
three  of  these  were  contraband.  We  then  pushed  on, 
having  the  walled  city  and  fortifications  on  our  right 
and  the  Binondo  suburb  on  our  left,  across  the  Pasig. 
In  this  suburb  most  of  the  foreigners,  merchants,  and 
others  lived ;  the  old  walled  town  containing  the  ca- 
thedral, captain-general's  palace,  barracks,  and  resi- 
dences of  the  archbishop  and  other  high  officials. 

The  two  towns  were  connected  by  a  bridge  of  stone, 
which  would  have  been  imposing  had  the  centre  arch 
not  been  carried  away  by  an  earthquake,  and  restored 
by  a  very  ramshackle  wooden  substitute. 

On  landing,  we  found  a  pale-faced  clerk  waiting  to 
conduct  us  to  the  consignee's  house,  close  by.  The 
clerk,  as  a  pleasant  welcome,  informed  us,  while  walk- 
ing up  to  the  house,  that  the  cholera,  which  had  been 
hanging  about  for  some  time,  "  was  becoming  very 
serious." 

The  consignee,  Mr.  G ,  received  me  very  kindly, 

pooh-poohed  the  cholera,  which  he  did  not  seem  to 
mind,  but  seemed  aggrieved  because  there  had  been 
several  shocks  of  earthquake  lately,  which  he  said 
"were  entirely  out  of  season."  I  thought  he  cast 
rather  a  rueful  eye  upon  my  passenger,  of  whose 
coming  he  had  been  advised.  However,  I  turned  him 
over  in  due  form,  bag  and  baggage. 

I  may  as  well  describe  the  house  in  which  Mr. 

G lived  and  conducted  his  business,  as  a  specimen 

of  a  respectable  Binondo  mansion.  It  was  large,  and 
contained  many  fine  rooms,  built  around  a  quadrangle, 
the  walls  of  the  ground-floor  of  stone,  and  very  mas- 
20 


230  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

sive.  The  upper  story  was  built  of  timber,  the  beams 
projecting  several  feet  beyond  the  stone  wall,  and 
supporting  a  verandah,  which  was  shut  in  by  movable 
sashes,  filled  with  small  squares  of  coarse  mother-of- 
pearl  shell,  giving  a  subdued  light.  This  upper  story 
was  built  of  wood,  to  afford  some  play  in  case  of  earth- 
quakes, which  are  common,  and  often  destructive.  The 
lower  part  of  the  house  was  given  up  to  merchandise, 
and  for  the  kitchen,  stables,  and  sleeping-rooms  of  the 
servants. 

Mr.  G invited  me  to  take  up  my  quarters  with 

him  until  my  cargo  was  ready,  and  I  did  so,  first  re- 
turning to  the  vessel  and  arranging  matters  with  the 
mate. 

Early  the  next  morning,  after  chocolate  and  a  cheroot, 
we  started  to  have  a  look  at  the  town  before  the  heat 
of  the  day.  The  streets  were  full  of  people,  for  all 
work  and  business  begins  early  and  is  pretty  much 
over  by  noon,  when  every  one  takes  the  siesta,  rousing 
out  again  about  an  hour  before  sunset. 

The  inhabitants  of  Manilla  may  be  placed  in  three 
groups ;  the  Tagals,  or  natives,  far  outnumbering  all 
the  rest,  and  the  different  half-breeds  coming  from 
them,  called  Mestizos.  Next  in  number  are  the  Chi- 
nese, and  then  come  the  whites,  or  Spaniards,  mostly 
officials,  military  and  civil. 

Of  course,  the  Tagalo  language  is  the  one  most  heard. 
These  Tagals  dress  in  shirts,  of  all  sorts  of  material 
and  patterns,  from  highly-embroidered  "pifta,"  or 
"house","  to  common  check,  generally  nicely  starched 
and  ironed,  and  invariably  worn  outside  the  trousers, 
with  the  ends  of  a  gay  sash,  which  supports  the  latter 


MF  FIRST   VOYAGE  AS  CAPTAIN.  231 

garment,  peeping  below  the  tails.  The  trousers  are 
generally  of  some  very  bright  stripe  or  check.  Very 
often,  when  not  at  work,  the  Tagal,  or  half-breed,  has, 
nestled  on  his  left  arm,  his  favorite  cock,  which  he 
carries  with  him  everywhere,  just  as  at  home  one  would 
have  a  pet  dog  following  him.  They  are  as  fond  of 
cock-fighting  as  any  other  Spanish  Creoles. 

The  women,  some  of  whom  are  very  pretty,  wear  a 
fine  white  jacket,  with  short  sleeves,  and  a  gay  hand- 
kerchief, or  shoulder-cloth,  over  it.  There  is  often  an 
interval  of  yellow  skin,  and  then  comes  a  gay-striped 
petticoat,  reaching  to  the  ankles,  and  over  that  a  shawl, 
drawn  round,  from  the  hips  to  the  knees,  so  tightly  as 
to  render  walking  rather  difficult.  They  wear  slippers, 
gayly  embroidered,  and  so  small  that  the  little  toe  does 
not  enter  the  upper  leather,  but  holds  on  like  a  claw 
outside.  From  these  two  causes  their  gait  is  rather 
shambling.  The  hair,  always  black,  and  rather  coarse, 
though  luxuriant,  flows  free  down  the  back. 

It  is  a  common  thing,  at  all  hours,  to  see  the  women 
and  girls  bathing  in  the  small  streams  which  run  past 
their  houses,  which  generally  overhang  the  water,  being 
built  of  bamboo,  raised  on  piles,  and  thatched. 

Two  women  will  stand  opposite  each  other  about 
waist  deep  in  the  water,  and,  bending  forward,  take 
each  other's  hair,  and  rub  it  with  the  root  called  "  gogo." 
This  makes  a  great  lather,  like  soap,  and  keeps  the  hair 
beautifully  clean  and  glossy. 

The  passer-by  may  walk  along  the  bank  close  to 
them  while  thus  bathing,  and  they  take  no  notice ;  but 
if  he  should  stop  to  look  at  them,  they  all  join,  and 
shoot  the  water  with  the  hollow  hand,  with  great  force 


232  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

and  accuracy,  drenching  the  curious  individual  in  an 
instant. 

The  Chinese  in  Manilla  seem  to  engross  nearly  all 
of  the  retail  trade.  They  are  willing  to  live  more 
cheaply  than  the  natives,  or  the  whites,  and  they  mostly 
sleep  in  their  shops,  which  consist  of  one  room  only. 
When  they  open  them  in  the  morning,  the  foul  smell, 
so  peculiarly  Chinese,  which  pours  out,  after  accumu- 
lating all  night,  is  rather  overpowering.  They  are  much 
oppressed  and  looked  down  upon  by  all  other  classes, 
and  seldom  settle  permanently,  as  they  do  in  Singa- 
pore, Java,  and  Penang,  but  go  home  as  soon  as  they 
have  accumulated  a  little  money.  They  are  obliged  to 
choose  from  among  themselves  a  "capitan,"  who  is 
responsible  for  their  good  behavior  to  some  extent,  as 
well  as  for  the  collection  of  the  very  heavy  capitation 
tax  which  is  imposed  upon  them. 

The  soldiers  seen  about  the  streets  and  on  duty  are 
all  in  white,  and  look  very  neat  and  comfortable, 
while  the  officials  look  especially  sour,  hot,  and  uncom- 
fortable in  their  black  coats  and  hats,  or  in  cloth  uni- 
forms. 

When  the  sun  began  to  be  felt,  or  at  about  eight 
o'clock,  we  went  to  the  cigar-factory,  which  is  a  gov- 
ernment institution,  under  the  control  of  a  high  official, 
who  is  appointed  by  the  home  government.  He  reg- 
ulates the  number  and  grade  of  the  different  kinds  of 
cigars  and  cheroots  which  are  made,  and  the  cultivators 
of  tobacco  are  obliged  to  sell  their  crop  to  him  at  a  fixed 
price. 

The  tobacco  from  the  district  of  Cagayan  is  con- 
sidered the  best,  and  many  people  suppose  that  the 


MF  FIRST   VOYAGE  AS  CAPTAIN.  233 

slight  drowsiness  produced  by  its  use  is  due  to  opium 
used  in  its  preparation,  but  this  is  not  so. 

The  "  Fabrica  de  Tabacos"  is  a  very  large  building, 
in  which  about  four  thousand  women  and  girls  are 
generally  employed,  beside  a  great  many  men,  who 
make  paper  cigars  and  prepare  the  tobacco  for  manu- 
facture. 

It  is  really  a  wonderful  sight  to  behold  the  mass  of 
female  humanity  which  is  poured  out  from  the  Fabrica 
when  the  hours  of  labor  are  over. 

The  noise,  while  work  is  going  on,  is  tremendous, — 
as  they  use  flat  stones  to  beat  out  the  leaves, — and  every 
woman  is  either  talking  or  singing  at  the  top  of  her 
voice. 

When  at  work  they  divest  themselves  of  all  clothing 
but  the  short  jacket  and  petticoat,  and  squat  around 
low  tables,  on  which  they  roll  the  cigars. 

They  are  by  no  means  choice  in  their  language, — 
even  when  strangers  are  present, — and  their  sallies  pro- 
voke shouts  of  laughter  among  themselves ;  but  as  the 
visitors  never,  by  any  chance,  understand  Tagal,  no 
great  harm  is  done.  It  is  only  by  the  expression  of 
their  faces  that  one  sees  that  something  saucy  is  intended. 

The  rooms  or  halls  in  which  these  women  work  are 
very  large,  holding  about  eight  hundred,  and  most 
dreary,  squalid-looking  places  they  are. 

The  No.  2  cheroot,  which  is  principally  made,  and 
most  commonly  smoked  in  India  and  China,  costs  eight 
dollars  a  thousand,  which  gives  very  fair  pay  to  the 
makers  and  a  large  profit  to  the  government,  owing  to 
the  power  of  the  latter  to  regulate  the  price  of  the  raw 
material. 

20* 


234  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

Soon  tiring  of  the  din  and  chatter  of  the  Fabrica, 
we  returned  home,  devoting  the  rest  of  the  morning  to 
business.  In  the  evening,  just  before  sunset,  we  went 
to  drive  in  an  open,  light  carriage,  drawn  by  a  pair  of 
small  but  spirited  native  horses.  Dozens  of  other 
vehicles,  of  a  like  kind,  were  on  the  drive,  and  two 
bands  were  playing.  The  ladies  were  in  evening  cos- 
tume, with  handsome  light  embroidered  skirts,  and  the 
hair  beautifully  dressed.  I  observed  that  all  the  women 
of  over  twenty-eight  or  thirty  seemed  to  run  to  fat,  or 
else  to  become  meagre  in  the  extreme,  and  there  were 
none  who  preserved  their  good  looks  after  that  age. 

We  drove  along  the  Canada,  a  sort  of  shell  road,  at 
a  walk,  one  vehicle  following  another,  and  at  the  end 
turning  and  coming  back  in  a  parallel  line.  Cavalry 
soldiers  were  posted  at  intervals  along  the  line  to  pre- 
serve order,  and  to  keep  any  vehicle  from  turning  out 
of  line  or  passing  another. 

I  was  told  that  this  order  was  preserved  on  account 
of  a  former  captain-general's  having  his  panels  smashed 
by  a  carriage  which  attempted  to  turn  out  of  the  line. 
The  only  persons  allowed  to  drive  four  horses  were  the 
captain-general  and  the  archbishop. 

With  the  drive  on  the  Calcada  ends  the  Manilla  day, 
unless  one  happens  to  be  invited  to  a  tertullia  or  even- 
ing conversazione.  This  is  not  the  most  inspiriting 
entertainment  in  the  world,  especially  for  a  stranger. 
The  ladies  sit  in  a  row  and  play  with  their  fans,  while 
the  gentlemen  stand  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  room 
or  about  the  doorway  and  gaze  at  them.  Sometimes  a 
slight  shock  of  earthquake  infuses  a  little  life  into  the 
company,  or  the  recent  sudden  death,  from  cholera,  of 


MY  FIRST   VOYAGE  AS  CAPTAIN.  235 

some  high  official  causes  a  little  conversation.  Indeed, 
the  cholera  was  becoming  alarmingly  prevalent  in  Ma- 
nilla, and  I  was  most  anxious  to  get  away. 

Two  of  my  crew,  who  had  been  on  shore  and  got 
drunk  on  new  rum,  were  taken  ill  and  died  in  the  hos- 
pital, while  the  unfortunate  young  man  whom  I  had 
brought  out  as  passenger  only  lived  a  week  after  land- 
ing. Having  returned  to  his  old  habits  as  soon  as  he 
got  on  shore,  he  died  of  cholera  also. 

I  dined  at  my  consignee's  one  evening  with  a  jolly 
English  captain,  whose  ship  was  in  the  bay.  We  parted 
about  eleven  o'clock  at  night,  when  he  appeared  to  be 
in  perfect  health,  and  I  was  invited  to  his  funeral  next 
morning  at  breakfast-time. 

It  was  high  time  for  all  who  could  to  get  away,  and 
we  tried  to  hurry  off  the  lighters  with  the  hemp  and 
sugar,  and  other  articles  of  the  cargo.  But  these  people 
are  very  slow  in  movement,  and  to  a  request  for  haste 
their  general  answer  is,  "  Mariana !" 

Every  day  I  took  a  walk  just  after  sunrise,  but  was 
very  careful  not  to  expose  myself  to  the  mid-day  sun 
or  to  the  night  air. 

One  morning,  during  my  walk,  I  passed  by  the  place 
of  execution,  near  the  shore  of  the  bay,  and  soon  saw 
from  the  crowd,  in  which  low  women  seemed  to  pre- 
dominate, that  some  one  was  to  suffer. 

Going  up  closer,  I  had  a  good  view  of  the  "  garrot- 
ing"  of  four  "  tulisanes,"  or  robbers.  They  had  been 
captured  while  in  the  act  of  robbing  the  house  of  a  rich 
mestizo  in  the  Binondo,  and  were  cut  off  by  the  algua- 
zils  before  they  could  reach  the  baiica,  in  which  their 
accomplices  made  their  escape  across  the  bay. 


236  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

One  at  a  time  these  wretches  were  seated  in  a  chair, 
with  a  high  strong  post  running  up  behind  it.  Through 
this  post  came  an  iron  screw  carrying  a  collar,  which 
was  put  about  the  criminal's  neck.  The  chair  was  ad- 
justed to  the  proper  height  of  each  subject  by  the  exe- 
cutioner, and  the  other  prisoners  looked  on  with  great 
sang-froid. 

One  turn  of  the  screw,  by  means  of  a  lever,  caused 
the  tongue  and  eyes  to  protrude  and  the  very  bones  of 
the  neck  to  craunch.  The  death  is  almost  instantane- 
ous, and  I  think  garroting  is  preferable  to  hanging  on 
many  accounts.  The  face  could  be  covered  by  a  cap, 
a  refinement  which  was  not  indulged  in  in  the  execu- 
tions I  saw. 

Spain  has  never  been  famed  for  mercy  in  her  pun- 
ishments, but  she  seems,  after  all,  to  have  hit  upon  the 
best  and  most  merciful  mode  of  capital  punishment. 

The  chain-gangs,  with  the  prisoners  chained  in  pairs, 
are  kept  steadily  at  work,  and  do  most  of  the  scaven- 
ger work  and  road-making,  solaced  by  smoking, — for 
even  the  felons  seemed  to  be  allowed  tobacco. 

One  morning  I  saw  the  flogging  of  a  thief,  which 
was  carried  on  after  this  fashion :  the  man,  stripped 
to  the  waist,  was  mounted  on  a  very  sorry  horse,  with 
his  feet  chained  together  underneath  the  animal. 

The  executioner,  dressed  in  red,  with  a  mask  on, 
gave  the  culprit  fifteen  or  twenty  lashes,  after  which  ho 
proclaimed  his  name  and  offence.  Then  they  moved 
on  to  another  place,  repeating  the  operation,  until  the 
whole  number  of  lashes  to  which  he  had  been  sen- 
tenced were  given,  and  most  of  the  population  had  had 
a  chance  to  look  at  him. 


MY  FIRST   VOYAGE  AS  CAPTAIN.  237 

They  do  not  have  bull-fights  in  Manilla.  I  suppose 
the  climate  is  too  hot  for  the  necessary  exertion.  But 
they  make  up  for  it  by  having  plenty  of  cock-fighting. 
They  allow  any  amount  of  betting  on  the  latter,  but 
severely  repress  "  monte"  and  all  other  public  gambling 
with  cards;  while,  to  balance  this,  the  public  lottery  is 
an  institution,  as  in  all  Spanish  countries,  of  weekly 
recurrence. 

The  days  were  passing,  and  the  cholera  went  steadily 
on,  reaping  its  harvest.  Funeral  processions  were  going 
night  and  day,  and  the  church-bells  were  tolling  at  all 
hours,  thereby  increasing  the  panic  which  had  set  in. 
The  drill  and  exercises  of  the  troops  were  dispensed 
with,  while  but  few  carriages  appeared  on  the  Canada. 

At  last  our  cargo  of  hemp,  sugar,  and  grass-cloth 
was  on  board,  and  I  was  glad  to  clear  rny  ship  and  get 
away. 

The  northeast  monsoon  sent  us  down  the  China  Sea 
with  a  wet  sheet.  The  passage  through  the  Java  Sea, 
and  out  by  Java  Head,  was  neither  more  nor  less  tedi- 
ous than  usual,  and  I  made  a  good  and  quick  passage 
home,  without  any  unusual  occurrence,  having  been 
gone  just  ten  months. 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

ON   MY   BEAM   ENDS  AGAIN,   BUT   RIGHT   MYSELF   BY 
BUYING   A   VESSEL   OF   MY   OWN. 

THE  first  news  I  learned  on  landing  at  New  York 
was  that  my  owners  had  failed,  and  that  the  Highflyer 
had  been  sold  while  on  the  passage  home.  She  had 
been  bought  to  go  under  the  Brazilian  flag,  and  the 
captain  who  was  to  take  her  out  to  Rio  Janeiro  was 
there  waiting  for  her. 

Here  I  was  on  my  beam  ends.  I  went  to  see  Mr. 
Archer,  for  I  felt  very  sorry  for  him.  He  gave  me  a 
first-rate  letter  of  recommendation,  but  could  do  no 
more,  for  he  was  himself  obliged  to  go  out  to  China 
and  accept  a  subordinate  position  in  one  of  the  large 
American  houses  there. 

I  had  made  quite  a  little  venture  in  Manilla  in  pifia 
handkerchiefs,  hous6  dress-patterns,  and  cheroots,  which 
turned  out  very  well,  and  I  had  now,  what  with  the 
profits  from  these,  my  wages,  and  the  money  which  I 
had  from  time  to  time  deposited  in  the  savings-bank, 
nearly  four  thousand  dollars.  With  this  amount  I 
could  readily  buy  a  share  in  a  vessel,  but  it  went  very 
hard  with  me  to  leave  the  Highflyer,  and  I  moped 
about  for  a  week  or  ten  days  much  depressed,  and 
uncertain  what  to  do. 

The  crew  which  had  stuck  so  long  by  the  ship  were 
paid  off  and  scattered.  But  one  day  Brown  came  to 
238 


I  BUY  A    VESSEL  OF  MY  OWN.  239 

see  me,  and  told  me  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  go  to 
Connecticut,  and  see  if  he  could  not  find  a  berth  with 
our  old  skipper  of  the  Eliphalet  Simpson,  or  some  of 
his  numerous  seafaring  relatives.  It  struck  me  that 
I  had  better  go  too,  and  see  what  I  could  do  in  the 
way  of  getting  a  vessel. 

Accordingly  we  went  up  together,  and  found  the 
skipper  at  home.  He  seemed  glad  to  see  us,  but  told 
us  he  had  given  up  going  to  sea,  and  now  occupied 
himself  with  attending  to  his  farm,  although  he  still 
owned  shares  in  several  vessels. 

After  a  long  talk  over  my  prospects,  he  told  me  of  a 
very  nice  three-masted  schooner,  building  at  Mystic,  of 
which  he  was  part  owner,  and  of  which  I  might  get  the 
command  by  buying  a  share,  which  I  was  well  able 
to  do. 

The  vessel  was  of  about  three  hundred  and  twenty 
tons,  and  was  intended  for  the  general  coasting  trade. 
This  was  rather  a  come-down  for  me  after  the  High- 
flyer, but  I  could  see  nothing  else  to  do.  We  went 
over  to  inspect  the  vessel,  which  we  found  masted  and 
ready  for  rigging,  and  I  liked  her  so  well  that  I  com- 
pleted the  bargain  off-hand. 

It  was  arranged  that  one  of  the  old  skipper's 
nephews  was  to  be  first  mate,  and  Brown  second,  as  I 
knew  his  value  as  a  seaman,  and  also  knew  that  I 
could  manage  him  and  keep  him  from  drinking.  Our 
crew  consisted  of  young  men,  mostly  known  to  the 
other  owners,  from  Connecticut  and  the  east  end  of 
Long  Island, — very  decent,  sober  fellows,  and  good 
sailors. 

By  the  first  of  July  we  had  the  vessel,  which  was 


240  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

named  the  "  Traveller,"  down  at  New  York,  and  I  put 
her  up  for  freight.  The  broker  I  employed  soon  found 
me  two  oifers.  One  was  to  go  down  to  Brunswick, 
Georgia,  and  load  lumber  for  La  Guayra,  returning 
thence  with  coffee.  The  other  was  to  go  out  with  pro- 
visions and  "  notions"  to  the  Cape  Verde  Islands,  with 
forty  lay  days  there  to  allow  time  for  disposing  of  the 
cargo,  when  my  charter  would  expire,  and  I  would  be 
free  to  find  another.  I  liked  the  latter  best,  because 
the  sum  offered  was  a  fair  one ;  quite  equal  to  that  for 
the  other  voyage,  and  there  would  be  less  wear  and 
tear  of  the  vessel.  Beside  this,  I  thought  it  a  better 
voyage  on  the  score  of  health  at  that  season,  not  to 
speak  of  the  probability  of  encountering  hurricanes  in 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

So  I  closed  with  the  last  offer,  and  we  loaded  and 
sailed  within  a  week. 

We  took  out  with  us  a  supercargo,  who  had  entire 
charge  of  the  disposal  of  the  cargo.  He  was  a  quiet 
little  man,  who  wore  green  spectacles,  and  seldom  spoke 
to  any  one,  but  spent  most  of  his  time  at  the  cabin  table 
over  his  books  and  invoices.  He  thoroughly  understood 
his  business,  however,  and  I  afterwards  found  he  was 
quite  a  match  for  the  Portuguese  Jews,  to  whom  his 
sales  were  principally  made.  I  was  astonished  to  dis- 
cover how  talkative  and  jolly  he  could  be,  and  how 
liberally  he  brought  out  cura9oa,  absinthe,  and  cham- 
pagne, when  he  had  any  of  these  gentry  on  board  looking 
at  his  samples.  The  moment  they  were  gone,  however, 
he  relapsed  into  the  utmost  silence  and  gravity  behind 
his  green  glasses,  showing  that  his  good  fellowship  was 
a  part  of  his  stock  in  trade. 


I  BUY  A    VESSEL   OF  MY  OWN.  241 

We  had  a  pleasant  passage  out,  excepting  a  sharp 
blow  near  the  Bermudas  and  a  good  deal  of  calm 
weather  through  the  "  Sargasso  Sea."  The  amount  of 
sea-weed  (called  the  "  Fucus  natans"  in  the  books)  float- 
ing and  growing  here  has  always  been  a  source  of 
wonder  to  all  seamen. 

It  is  collected  between  the  Gulf  Stream  and  the  equa- 
torial currents,  which  fence  in,  so  to  speak,  a  quiet  field 
of  enormous  extent,  on  which  the  weed  collects  and 
grows  so  thickly  as  at  times  to  check  a  vessel's  way. 
It  is  full  of  small  fish,  crabs,  and  other  diminutive 
marine  animals;  and  a  tubful  of  this  weed  forms  a 
curious  study  to  while  away  the  tedious  hours  of  a  calm 
at  sea. 

The  gulf-weed  looks  like  no  other  sea-weed  in  growth 
or  color.  With  leaves  somewhat  willow-shaped,  and 
loaded  with  tiny  berries,  it  has  the  color  of  ripe  olives, 
inclining  to  orange.  Propagating  itself  while  floating 
in  water  four  miles  deep,  and  affording  a  refuge  and 
home  to,  marine  animals,  many  of  which  are  as  peculiar 
as  itself,  it  is  no  wonder  that  legends  still  are  told  of 
how  it  hovers  over  its  old  home,  the  sunken  continent 
Atlantis,  circling  round  and  round  searching  for  the 
rocks  on  which  it  once  grew. 

The  rig  of  a  three-masted  schooner  was  a  novelty  to 
me,  but  I  soon  got  accustomed  to  it.  Most  of  the  men 
were  schooner  sailors,  but  old  Brown  was  always  growl- 
ing at  the  rig,  swearing  that  if  not  closely  watched  the 
vessel  "  would  turn  round  and  look  you  in  the  face." 
At  last  we  made  the  high  island  of  San  Antonio,  the 
most  northerly  of  the  Cape  de  Verdes,  and  beating  up 
the  channel  between  that  island  and  St.  Vincent  against 

L  21 


242  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

a  furious  northeast  wind  which  drew  through  the  pas- 
sage, we  anchored  in  the  harbor  of  Porto  Grande. 

St.  Vincent  is  a  small,  mountainous,  and  very  barren 
island,  only  occupied  on  account  of  its  very  fine  harbor, 
which  is  used  as  a  coaling  station  for  various  lines  of 
steamers  running  to  Australia,  the  coast  of  Africa,  and 
South  America.  All  the  provisions,  fruit,  and  vegeta- 
bles used  there  are  brought  over  from  San  Antonio, 
and  even  the  drinking  water  is  imported,  for  there  are 
few  springs  on  the  island,  and  they  are  very  inacces- 
sible. 

The  coal  for  the  steamers  is  always  ready  in  lighters 
moored  in  the  harbor,  so  that  there  is  no  delay.  When 
the  lighters  are  brought  alongside  the  steamer,  the  coal 
is  soon  put  on  board  by  the  people  employed  for  the 
purpose,  who  are  generally  natives  of  some  of  the  other 
islands  of  the  group.  A  large  proportion  are  women, 
who  carry  the  baskets  and  bags  on  their  heads,  and  run 
up  the  plank  with  the  agility  of  monkeys,  and  with 
quite  as  much  chatter.  While  thus  employed  they  sel- 
dom encumber  themselves  with  much  clothing,  the  coal- 
dust  throwing  a  discreet  veil  over  their  persons ;  but 
when  not  at  work,  they  indulge  in  a  good  deal  of  dirty 
finery,  in  the  shape  of  gaudy  calico  and  brass  jewelry. 
Although  these  women  are  by  no  means  models,  they 
are  much  better  than  the  men,  being  at  least  industri- 
ous, while  the  men  are  apt  to  be  dissolute,  drunken, 
and  idle. 

The  supercargo,  who  was  an  old  trader  in  the  islands, 
soon  saw  that  something  was  wrong  on  shore,  for  there 
was  not  the  usual  bustle  consequent  on  the  arrival  of  a 
vessel.  At  last  a  boat  came  off  with  an  official  of  the 


I  BUY  A    VESSEL   OF  MY  OWN.  243 

"  Alfandega,"  who  did  not  come  alongside,  but  lay  off 
at  some  distance.  He  reported  that  the  cholera  was 
raging  there,  and  said  that  we  had  better  not  communi- 
cate. According  to  his  report,  as  well  as  what  we  after- 
wards heard,  the  mortality  was  frightful ;  and  in  the 
course  of  a  month  nearly  the  whole  population  was 
swept  off.  There  were  not  left  enough  well  people  to 
bury  the  dead,  and  a  large  number  of  bodies  were 
burned  in  a  lime-kiln  to  leeward  of  the  town.  It 
seemed  hard  to  believe  that  such  pestilence  was  raging 
before  our  very  eyes,  for  the  skies  were  bright  and  blue, 
and  the  sun  shone  all  day  long,  while  the  water  in  the 
harbor  was  as  clear  and  transparent  as  crystal,  and  the 
trade-wind  blew  briskly  and  steadily  enough,  one  would 
think,  to  sweep  away  all  sickness. 

All  this  was  bad  news  for  our  supercargo,  for  he  had 
counted  upon  disposing  of  a  good  part  of  his  cargo 
there,  where  there  was  more  money  than  anywhere 
else  in  the  group,  from  the  wages  paid  the  people  who 
worked  at  the  coal. 

There  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  go,  however,  and  we 
hove  up  our  anchor,  after  taking  a  single  reef,  and 
beat  out  to  windward,  the  squalls  coming  every  few 
minutes  as  if  they  would  take  the  masts  out,  although 
when  we  got  out  of  the  passage  the  wind  was  only 
blowing  a  good,  strong,  steady  breeze. 

Standing  over  to  the  eastward  during  the  night  under 
easy  sail,  we  anchored  at  the  Isle  of  Sal  next  morning. 
This  member  of  the  group  is  named  from  the  salt  made 
there  by  solar  evaporation,  and  we  found  several 
vessels  loading  with  it,  principally  for  Brazil.  Sal  is 
much  more  level  than  any  of  the  other  islands,  and  the 


244  THIRTY   YEARS  AT  SEA. 

sea-water  is  evaporated  in  large  shallow  basins,  the  salt 
being  afterwards  raked  and  piled  up  until  it  is  required 
for  shipment.  There  being  scarcely  ever  any  rain,  the 
piles  keep  a  long  time  without  loss.  The  black  and 
mulatto  population,  who  number  about  twenty  to  one 
of  the  whites,  are  a  lazy  set ;  but  when  they  do  work, 
are  entirely  occupied  in  making  and  piling  the  salt, 
which  is  rather  lazy  work  anywhere.  This  work 
bringing  some  money  into  the  island,  we  disposed  of  a 
good  deal  of  our  cargo  here,  and  after  a  week's  stay 
we  went  away  before  the  wind  to  Porto  Praya. 

There  are  plenty  of  turtle  about  the  islands,  which 
are  often  taken  when  floating  asleep  on  the  surface  of 
the  water.  I  bought  one  just  before  we  left  Sal  for  two 
dollars  which  must  have  weighed  two  hundred  pounds. 
The  fishermen  dart  at  them  a  pole  having  a  conical 
head,  from  which  the  shaft  becomes  detached  on  enter- 
ing. The  elasticity  of  the  shell  causes  it  to  close  over 
the  "  plug,"  to  which  a  line  is  attached,  and  the  animal 
thus  secured. 

I  had  been  in  Porto  Praya  before,  but  under  very 
different  circumstances,  having  been  then  a  seaman  on 

board  the  M sloop-of-war,  without  a  chance  to  put 

my  foot  on  shore.  Now  that  I  could  go  whenever  I 
pleased,  I  did  not  feel  much  inclined  to  avail  myself 
of  the  opportunity.  To  tell  the  truth,  the  best  part  of 
Porto  Praya  is  seen  from  the  roads.  It  is  situated  on 
a  bluff,  with  precipitous  sides  towards  the  sea,  and  ap- 
proached from  the  beach  by  a  steep  road  cut  in  the 
stone.  On  the  southeast  of  the  town  is  a  ravine  or 
valley,  running  down  to  the  sea,  in  which  is  a  very 
fine  grove  of  cocoanuts,  always  a  beautiful  sight. 


I  BUY  A    VESSEL   OF  MY  OWN.  245 

This  is  almost  the  only  greeii  thing  within  sight, 
everything  else  being  of  a  rusty,  parched  brown, — ex- 
cept the  houses  of  the  town  itself,  with  their  white  walls 
and  red  tiled  roofs.  The  road  is  protected  from  the 
strong  northeast  trade-wind  by  a  high  promontory, 
called  East  Point,  and  vessels  which  want  to  be  snug 
anchor  close  in  under  it,  not  far  from  the  cocoanut-grove. 

A  day  or  two  after  we  arrived  a  large  English  ship 
suddenly  appeared,  coming  round  East  Point,  before 
the  stiff  trade,  with  "a  bone  in  her  mouth."  She  was 
full  of  passengers,  and  apparently  bound  to  Australia. 
Hauling  up  round  the  point,  but  heading  much  to  lee- 
ward of  where  he  should  have  anchored,  he  clewed  up 
his  sails  and  let  go  his  starboard  bower.  But  he  had 
not  bargained  for  the  strength  of  the  trade- wind,  which, 
taking  his  clewed-up  sails  aback,  speedily  ran  his  chain 
out  for  him,  in  spite  of  compressors ;  and,  when  it  reached 
the  bitter  end,  the  last  link  leaped  smartly  into  the  water, 
and  he  was  all  adrift  again.  The  period  of  his  stay  at 
St.  Jago  was  thus  limited  to  about  forty-five  seconds. 
I  must  do  the  fellow  the  justice  to  say  that  he  took  the 
loss  of  his  anchor  very  philosophically,  and  he  made 
sail  again  as  he  went  off  to  the  southward,  as  if  it  was 
all  a  prearranged  manoeuvre.  I  hope  that  his  passen- 
gers bore  the  loss  of  the  Porto  Praya  oranges  they  ex- 
pected to  get  as  well  as  he  did  that  of  his  anchor  and 
chain. 

We  remained  for  three  or  four  weeks  at  Porto  Praya, 
the  supercargo  finally  selling  out  his  whole  venture  to  a 
Jew,  named  Moses,  a  mulatto  colonel,  named  Gilbert, 
and  to  our  acting  consul,  a  queer  old  fellow,  named 

M .     The  latter  had  been  a  warrant  officer  in  the 

21* 


246  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

navy,  and  had  been  sent  out  to  Porto  Praya  to  take 
charge  of  naval  stores  there,  where  he  also  acted  as 
consul. 

As  he  was  consumptive,  and  the  climate  agreed  with 
him,  he  remained  there  from  year  to  year,  although  few 
other  white  men,  not  natives,  could  stay  there,  on  ac- 
count of  "  the  fever."  He  had  a  Portuguese  clerk,  called 
Hannibal,  whom  he  was  always  anathematizing  for  his 
laziness  and  carelessness.  I  asked  him  one  day  why 
he  did  not  bring  out  a  Yankee  clerk.  "  I  have,"  he 
answered,  in  his  high  nasal  voice ;  "  but  the  { critters' 
all  die.  Why,  there's  four  of  'em,  all  of  a  row,  planted 
up  here  in  the  seminary."  It  was  evident  that  he  meant 

cemetery,  but  it  would  not  do  to  correct  him,  for  M 

prided  himself  on  his  choice  language.  It  was  very 
dull  work,  this  stay  in  Porto  Praya.  There  was  noth- 
ing for  me  to  do  on  board  ship,  and  nothing  on  shore, 
except  to  play  on  a  wretched  billiard-table.  One  day, 

to  pass  the  time,  I  went  out  in  the  country  with  M 

to  hunt  guinea-fowl,  which  is  the  only  sport  the  island 
affords.  They  are  rather  plentiful,  but  very  wild  and 
difficult  to  approach.  The  best  way  to  get  at  them  is 
on  the  back  of  a  donkey,  allowing  the  animal  to  select 
its  own  course  up  the  barren  hills,  and  keeping  a  sharp 
lookout. 

We  did  not  get  many  birds,  but  I  had  a  look  at  the 
island  and  the  people,  who  are  miserably  poor  and  often 
in  a  starving  condition.  It  rains  so  seldom  that  raising 
grain  or  vegetables  is  a  most  uncertain  business.  In 
the  ravines,  where  some  moisture  accumulates,  they  grow 
delicious  oranges, — as  fine  as  any  in  the  world.  I  saw 
many  fine  flocks  of  turkeys,  too,  which  thrive  here  on 


I  BUY  A    VESSEL   OF  MY  OWN.  247 

the  insects,  and  are  sold  to  vessels  touching  for  supplies 
at  very  moderate  prices.  Nothing  else  appeared  to  be 
particularly  flourishing,  except  the  lizards,  of  which 
there  were  no  end.  They  are  about  the  only  reptiles 
on  the  island,  snakes  of  any  kind  being  unknown, 
while  there  are  no  wild  animals,  either. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

HOMEWARD   BOUND,  I   LOSE  MY  MASTS,  AND  NEARLY 
LOSE  THE  SHIP. 

THE  supercargo  having  at  last  sold  his  cargo,  the  ves- 
sel was  at  my  disposal,  and  I  determined  to  return  home 
at  once,  being  offered  a  good  freight  by  a  whaler  who 
had  put  into  Porto  Praya  for  water,  and  was  desirous 
of  shipping  home  some  of  his  oil  before  sailing  for  the 
St.  Helena  ground. 

As  soon  as  we  had  the  oil  on  board  we  sailed,  pass- 
ing out  to  leeward,  by  the  pretty  mountain  island  of 
Brava,  and  Fogo,  with  its  smoking  volcano,  nearly  ten 
thousand  feet  high. 

We  made  a  good  and  pleasant  passage  across  the 
Atlantic,  but  approaching  our  coast  in  the  autumn 
months  is  apt  to  be  rough,  and  so  I  found  it  on  this 
occasion. 

I  was  bound  to  New  Bedford  to  deliver  the  oil,  and 
we  were  within  a  hundred  miles  of  Gay  Head,  on 
Martha's  Vineyard,  when  we  caught  one  of  the  hard- 
est gales  I  ever  encountered. 

The  wind  was  from  about  northeast,  with  blinding 
snow-squalls,  and  not  daring  to  stand  in  in  such 
weather,  I  hove  to,  with  our  head  off  shore. 

The  sea  got  up  very  fast  and  soon  became  danger- 
ous, especially  after  getting  back  on  the  edge  of  the 
Gulf  Stream,  which  we  did  before  many  hours. 
248 


/  NEARLY  LOSE   THE  SHIP.  249 

There  is  little  to  do  in  a  schooner,  in  making  ready 
for  bad  weather,  after  the  hatches  have  been  well  bat- 
tened, the  sails  balance-reefed,  and  storm  stay-sails  bent. 

We  had  only  to  keep  a  couple  of  good  men  at  the 
wheel,  watch  the  wind  and  sea,  and  pray  that  our  bob- 
stays  and  the  lanyards  of  the  rigging  might  hold. 

The  next  morning,  just  before  daylight,  it  was  blow- 
ing harder  than  ever,  but  had  stopped  snowing,  so  that 
we  could  see  some  little  distance ;  when  suddenly  I 
made  out  the  loom  of  a  large  vessel  on  our  weather 
bow.  Before  I  could  move  or  give  an  order  she  dashed 
by  us,  across  our  bows,  running  before  the  gale. 

Our  jib-boom  and  bowsprit  struck  her  starboard 
quarter  with  a  fearful  shock,  shivering  the  spars  up  to 
the  very  knight-heads,  and  tearing  up  the  heel  of  the 
bowsprit  and  the  deck.  We  must  have  smashed  in 
her  upper  works  badly,  and  probably  crushed  some  one 
in  the  cabin-berths  or  on  her  poop,  for  I  heard  a  long 
dreadful  yell  of  agony,  and  then  the  strange  vessel  was 
swallowed  up  in  the  darkness  and  drift  to  leeward. 

Afterwards,  when  I  got  home,  I  made  all  the  inqui- 
ries I  could  respecting  any  vessel  arriving  at  any  of  our 
ports  about  that  time  with  such  damage,  but  I  could 
never  hear  of  any,  and  was  forced  to  the  conclusion 
that  our  collision  damaged  her  much  more  than  I  sup- 
posed at  the  time,  or  that  she  afterwards  foundered 
from  some  other  cause. 

As  the  accident  had  carried  away  our  forestay,  of 
course  it  was  not  long,  in  such  a  sea,  before  we  lost  our 
masts.  The  fore  went  first,  and  the  others  followed,  at 
intervals  of  a  few  minutes,  smashing  things  generally 
about  the  decks. 
L* 


250  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

We  could  do  but  little  until  the  masts  fell,  except  to 
keep  out  of  the  way  of  them,  and  then  we  cut  the  rig- 
ging and  let  them  go. 

I  now  had  the  pumps  sounded,  and  found  the  vessel 
making  a  good  deal  of  water,  and  as  we  were  a  com- 
plete wreck,  the  sea  now  made  a  clean  breach  over  us 
at  times. 

It  was  as  much  as  a  man's  life  was  worth  to  go  for- 
ward to  examine  the  place  where  the  deck  was  ripped 
up,  and  to  do  any  work  at  it  would  be  impossible. 

I  had  often  heard  of  the  effects  of  oil  in  preventing 
the  waves  from  combing  and  breaking,  and  I  now 
determined  to  try  it. 

Getting  down  into  the  after-hold  from  the  cabin,  I, 
with  considerable  difficulty,  tapped  a  barrel,  and  had  a 
breakerful  brought  up  on  the  quarter-deck. 

Getting  well  forward  by  the  life-lines  we  had  rove, 
and  watching  a  chance,  we  poured  about  a  bucketful 
overboard.  The  effect  far  exceeded  my  expectations, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  the  sea  to  windward,  though  still 
running  as  high  as  ever,  ceased  to  break  so  viciously. 
Pouring  over  more  oil,  we  were  then  able  to  get  for- 
ward with  planks,  canvas,  hammer,  and  nails,  and 
to  partially  stop  the  leak  in  the  deck,  which  had 
threatened  to  sink  us  very  soon  unless  something  was 
done. 

I  expected  to  find  our  stem  split  and  wood-ends 
started,  but  the  vessel  was  new  and  strong,  and,  to 
my  great  surprise  and  joy,  they  were  all  right. 

We  kept  the  oil  going  at  intervals  for  many  hours, 
there  fortunately  being  plenty  of  it.  Being  thus  en- 
abled to  stand  at  the  pumps  without  serious  danger, 


/  NEARLY  LOSE  THE  SHIP.  251 

by  nightfall  we  were  almost  free  of  water,  to  the  great 
relief  of  all. 

When  our  masts  went  our  steering-gear  was  of  no 
use,  so  I  lashed  the  wheel,  and  sent  most  of  the  men 
into  the  cabin  to  try  to  get  some  rest,  their  deck-house 
having  been  stove  and  washed  out  by  the  first  seas 
which  boarded  us. 

During  the  night  the  wind  hauled  to  southeast,  then 
died  out;  and  before  morning  came  out  suddenly, 
fresh  from  northwest. 

Of  course,  we  were  at  its  mercy,  and  obliged  to  drift 
where  it  and  the  Gulf  Stream  pleased  to  send  us. 
Nearly  a  week  passed  thus,  and  although  we  had  seen 
sails  in  the  distance  nearly  every  day,  none  of  them 
seemed  to  see  the  pole  and  signal  which  we  showed. 

At  last,  one  morning,  when  the  weather  was  quite 
moderate,  I  got  sights,  putting  us  in  about  40°  north 
and  65°  west.  Almost  at  the  same  time  we  made  out 
a  steamer  steering  towards  us  from  the  eastward,  and 
as  soon  as  she  discovered  us  she  set  her  ensign,  and  in 
half  an  hour  was  under  our  stern. 

She  was  one  of  our  steam  sloops-of-war,  bound  home. 
Her  captain  hailed  us  to  inquire  our  condition,  and 
whether  he  should  take  us  off;  but  upon  my  answering 
that  we  were  making  no  water  of  any  consequence, 
he  threw  up  his  trumpet  to  signify  that  he  under- 
stood me,  and  turned  away.  Soon  another  officer  was 
added  to  the  group  on  the  man-of-war's  poop,  and  I 
guessed  (what  I  afterwards  found  to  be  true)  that  the 
captain  had  sent  for  his  chief  engineer  to  see  if  his 
coal  would  justify  him  in  taking  us  in  tow.  Soon  he 
stood  down  across  our  stern  again,  and  hailed  to  say 


252  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

that  he  was  going  to  send  us  a  hawser,  and  that  we 
should  send  him  one.  Coming  round  once  more,  he 
sent  a  man  into  his  starboard  quarter-boat  with  a 
heaving-line,  and  by  careful  steering  ran  close  enough 
to  our  quarter  for  him,  by  a  splendid  cast,  to  heave  the 
line  to  us. 

There  was  great  danger  in  this  manoeuvre,  and  for  a 
moment  I  held  my  breath,  for  an  adverse  heave  of  the 
heavy  sea  would  at  that  moment  most  likely  have  had 
us  afoul  of  each  other. 

We  stood  by  to  catch  the  line  and  take  a  turn  with 
it,  and  they  at  once  began  paying  it  out,  and  then 
the  hawser  attached  to  it.  When  we  had  got  the 
latter  fast  to  our  bitts,  we  sent  them  our  best  hawser 
by  the  same  heaving-line,  and  when  we  had  them  both 
made  fast  and  well  parcelled  we  were  ready  to  go 
ahead. 

All  this  took  time,  with  more  trouble,  labor,  and  sea- 
manship than  would  be  apparent  to  a  landsman  who 
had  only  seen  lines  hove  from  a  steamboat  at  a  river 
wharf.  There  was  quite  a  heavy  sea,  although  not 
much  wind,  and  there  were  two  great  dangers  which  we 
had  fortunately  avoided.  One  of  these  was  collision, 
and  the  other  the  entangling  of  the  line  or  hawsers  in 
the  sloop-of-war's  propeller. 

Two  vessels  which  approach  too  closely  at  sea  are 
almost  sure  to  be  drawn  together,  like  two  corks  float- 
ing in  a  tub,  and  if  this  happens  in  a  sea-way,  a  very 
few  rasps  of  their  sides  are  apt  to  settle  the  fate  of  one 
or  both  of  them.  Then  again,  had  the  hawsers  got  a 
turn  or  two  round  the  propeller,  the  sloop  would  not  only 
have  been  unable  to  tow  us,  but  she  would  have  had  to 


I  NEARLY  LOSE   THE  SHIP.  253 

take  care  of  herself  under  sail  with  her  propeller  acting 
as  a  dead  drag. 

The  weather  was  now  cold  and  clear,  with  the  wind 
mostly  from  the  northwest,  and  we  made  fine  progress 
in  tow  of  the  Iroquois.  On  the  fourth  morning  we 
made  No-man's-land,  and  entered  Newport  harbor  dur- 
ing the  following  night,  when  we  anchored  close  under 
the  stern  of  our  convoy. 

Early  next  day  a  boat  came  from  the  sloop-of-war  to 
take  me  on  board,  when  I  found  in  her  excellent  com- 
mander the  very  officer,  named  W ,  with  the  large 

person,  jolly  face,  and  fine  teeth,  who  had  received  me 

ou  board  the  old  F in  Hong-Kong  harbor,  when 

I  was  picked  up  adrift,  a  friendless  boy,  and  brought  off 
by  good  old  Erie  Kemp. 

Captain  "VV remembered  me  perfectly,  and  said 

he  was  doubly  glad  to  see  me  commanding  my  own 
vessel,  and  in  having  been  able  to  rescue  me  from  a 
position  where  my  life  and  my  hard-earned  savings 
were  equally  in  danger. 

I  told  him  (what  I  sincerely  felt)  that  the  naval  offi- 
cers had  always  been  good  friends  of  mine,  and  thanked 
him  for  having  brought  us  safe  and  sound  into  port. 

He  was  bound  to  Philadelphia,  and  in  a  hurry  to  be 
off  while  the  weather  was  good,  so  I  left  him  and  went 
on  shore.  I  telegraphed  to  my  old  skipper  in  New 
Haven  the  state  of  affairs,  and  also  to  the  consignees 
of  the  oil  for  instructions.  The  latter  desired  me  to 
land  and  store  the  oil  in  Newport,  which  I  proceeded 
to  do. 

In  a  couple  of  days  the  old  skipper  appeared  on 
board  a  New  Haven  tug,  and  as  soon  as  we  were  clear 


254  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

of  our  cargo  we  went  down  the  Sound  in  tow  to  Mystic 
to  refit. 

This  took  some  weeks,  and  as  I  had  had  enough  of 
schooners'  masts,  we  rigged  the  Traveller  into  a  barque, 
and  a  very  nice  and  handy  one  she  made. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

THE  TRAVELLER    IS    TOTALLY   LOST,   AND   I   COME 
HOME   AS   PASSENGER. 

As  soon  as  we  got  the  Traveller  all  ataunto,  I  started 
on  a  trip  to  Trinidad  de  Cuba,  making  three  voyages 
in  succession,  and  then,  during  the  summer,  carrying 
coal  between  Philadelphia  and  Boston. 

This  kind  of  trade  I  kept  up  for  two  years,  with  the 
exception  of  one  charter  with  grain  to  London.  No 
event  worth  mentioning  took  place,  and  I  had  favorable 
voyages  as  a  general  thing,  earning  money  for  myself 
and  the  other  owners,  and  during  this  time  I  do  not 
think  I  lost  a  spar  or  a  sail.  At  the  time  I  now  speak 
of  I  owned  one-half  of  the  vessel,  having  bought  out 
some  of  the  other  owners,  and  I  always  kept  my  share 
well  insured. 

There  was  a  great  deal  of  talk  of  secession  in  the 
summer  and  autumn  of  1860,  and  the  cloud  seemed  to 
grow  blacker  and  blacker;  but  most  people  at  the 
North  seemed  to  think  it  would  be  only  a  short,  but 
severe  squall,  after  which  the  political  atmosphere  would 
clear  again. 

Like  most  other  busy  people,  I  had  paid  but  little 
attention  to  the  matter,  and,  in  fact,  knew  very  little 
about  politics.  My  old  man-of-war  training,  if  nothing 
else,  made  all  my  feelings  side  with  the  North,  when- 
ever I  had  given  the  subject  any  consideration,  or  heard 

255 


256  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

it  discussed,  as  I  sometimes  did,  when  at  home  in  Con- 
necticut, of  which  State  I  had  some  time  before  become 
a  citizen. 

In  October  of  this  year  I  had  sailed  for  the  West 
Indies  with  a  mixed  cargo,  having  been  instructed  by 
the  charterers  to  call  at  St.  Thomas  for  orders,  which 
were  to  come  out  to  me  by  steamer.  When  I  arrived 
there  I  found  that  I  had  made  rather  too  good  a  pas- 
sage, and  that  the  steamer  had  not  yet  arrived,  so  I  had 
to  wait  for  her. 

I  was  anchored  just  abreast  the  coaling  wharves  in 
this  fine  harbor,  in  company  with  more  than  a  dozen 
square-rigged  vessels,  and  some  brigs  and  schooners; 
for  St.  Thomas,  being  a  free  port  and  very  convenient, 
has  never  any  lack  of  shipping.  Many  vessels  also 
put  in  there  in  distress.  There  was  a  large  steamer  of 
the  English  West  India  Line  lying  at  the  coaling  docks, 
on  the  port  hand  as  you  enter,  and  the  darkies  were 
swarming  up  her  gang-planks  with  baskets  of  coal  on 
their  heads,  making  the  whole  harbor  echo,  as  their 
laughter,  and  shouts,  and  songs  were  reflected  from  the 
cliff  above  over  the  glassy  water. 

The  sun  was  past  the  meridian  and  the  day  very 
oppressive.  The  arid,  uncultivated  hills,  and  the 
little  city  of  Charlotte  Amalia,  with  its  quaint  old 
Danish  fort,  lay  baking  in  the  beams,  for  there  were 
no  clouds,  although  a  strange  lurid  haze  hung  upon  the 
seaward  horizon. 

It  was  so  close  below  that  I  came  on  deck  to  sit  under 
the  awning  and  try  to  get  a  breath  of  air,  but  there  was 
none,  and  the  water  reflected  the  ships  and  boats  on  its 
surface  like  a  mirror. 


THE   TRAVELLER  IS  TOTALLY  LOST.         257 

One  or  two  of  my  men  had  been  at  work  aloft,  but 
were  called  down  until  the  extreme  heat  of  the  day 
should  be  over,  and  everything  and  everybody  seemed 
taking  a  siesta,  except  the  niggers  at  work  coaling  the 
"liner." 

I  must  have  been  sitting  thus  for  near  an  hour,  and 
was  in  a  light  doze,  when  I  was  aroused  by  a  terrified 
yell  from  the  negroes  at  the  coaling  wharf.  Glancing 
that  way,  I  saw  that  they  had  all  dropped  their  baskets 
and  were  standing  stock  still,  staring  at  the  harbor's 
mouth.  Then  there  was  a  strong  surge  of  our  chain 
and  a  sinking  of  the  whole  vessel,  as  if  in  the  trough 
of  a  sea.  Looking  instinctively  out  seaward,  I  saw  a 
sight  which  was  enough  to  freeze  the  blood  in  a  man's 
veins.  The  whole  water  of  the  basin  seemed  suddenly 
to  be  ebbing  out  of  it,  lowering  it  many  feet,  so  that  a 
large  ship,  abreast  of  me,  took  the  ground  and  heeled 
over;  while  at  the  mouth  of  the  harbor  appeared  a 
huge  wave,  or  bore,  at  the  least  thirty  feet  high,  com- 
ing in  upon  us  as  swift  and  irresistible  as  fate. 

I  gave  one  shout  for  "  All  hands !"  and  the  order  to 
veer  chain  ;  although  I  felt  that  anything  we  could  do 
was  useless,  in  the  face  of  the  fierce  destruction  coming 
upon  us. 

A  large  barque,  lying  a  cable's  length  to  seaward  of 
us,  was  caught  up  by  the  wave  and  hurled  bodily  upon 
our  vessel.  Then  there  was  a  crash  of  timber,  a  roar 
of  waters,  and  I  remember  nothing  more  until  I  found 
myself  lying  on  a  mass  of  wreck,  partially  covered  by 
a  quantity  of  fresh,  broad-leaved  seaweed,  such  as  grows 
only  in  deep  water. 

It  was  night,  and  I  could  see  the  stars  as  I  looked 
22* 


258  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

through  the  weed ;  but  I  had  little  inclination  to  move, 
feeling  bruised  and  faint,  but  apparently  with  no  serious 
injury. 

At  least  an  hour  now  passed,  and  I  must  have  dozed 
off  several  times,  when  at  last  I  heard  voices  and  saw  the 
gleam  of  a  light.  Then  I  heard  some  one  say,  "  Here's 
another !  Haul  him  out,  boys,  and  lay  him  up  with 
the  rest !"  I  felt  myself  pulled  out  from  the  mass  in 
which  I  was  lying,  and  another  voice  said,  "  Marster, 
dis  one  not  for  dead."  "Let  me  see,"  said  the  first 
voice.  "  Why,  you're  right,  CaBsar :  he's  alive  !  Take 
him  up  to  the  house;  the  doctor's  there." 

The  speaker  was  a  ship-chandler,  a  well-known  char- 
acter, long  settled  in  St.  Thomas,  who  was  going  round 
the  shore  of  the  harbor,  like  a  good  Samaritan,  with 
some  Jamaica  negroes  in  his  employment,  seeking  the 
dead  and  the  living.  There  were  precious  few  of  the 
latter. 

The  earthquake  wave  had  destroyed  or  stranded 
every  vessel  in  the  harbor,  and  had  inflicted  great  dam- 
age upon  that  part  of  the  town  nearest  the  water. 

The  coal-wharves  were  gone,  and  so  was  the  floating- 
dock,  and  the  great  "  liner"  was  sunk  close  by  them. 
A  few  mastheads  appeared  above  the  surface  of  the 
water,  showing  where  vessels  had  foundered  at  their 
anchors,  but  the  great  mass  had  been  swept  out  to  sea 
by  the  reflux.  Vessels  coming  in  by  the  Virgin  pas- 
sage, days  after,  knew  that  some  great  calamity  had 
taken  place  by  the  floating  wreck  which  they  encoun- 
tered. 

Of  the  Traveller  and  her  cargo  nothing  was  ever  found, 
nor  was  a  soul  belonging  to  her  saved  but  myself. 


THE   TRAVELLER  IS   TOTALLY  LOST.         259 

I  remained  sick  and  prostrated  for  three  weeks  in 
St.  Thomas,  at  the  end  of  which  time  I  was  able  to 
take  passage  home  in  the  steamer  which  touched  there 
on  her  way  from  Brazil. 

I  had  drawn  upon  our  agent,  and  tried  to  make  the 
good-hearted  ship-chandler  receive  a  proper  sum  for 
the  trouble  and  expense  my  illness  had  occasioned;  but 
he  entirely  refused  to  take  anything.  When  I  got  back 
to  New  York,  however,  I  purchased  a  handsome  watch, 
and  had  an  appropriate  inscription  engraved  upon  it, 
which  I  sent  out  to  him  by  the  return  steamer. 

There  was  an  old  French  doctor  who  used  to  come 
to  see  me  every  day  while  I  was  lying  sick.  He  never 
did  much  for  me  but  to  order  "  tisanes"  (which  I  never 
took),  but  would  sit  and  stare  at  me  with  eyes  like 
boiled  gooseberries,  and  say,  "Dis  is  a  wery  bad  sheek- 
ness  what  you  have  got." 

As  he  only  charged  me  twelve  dollars  and  a  half  for 
his  three  weeks' attendance,  I  paid  him  very  cheerfully, 
first  trying  to  find  out  why  his  bill  was  twelve  dollars 
and  a  half  exactly, — why  the  half-dollar  ? 

But  as  he  evidently  thought  I  was  trying  to  beat 
him  down,  I  soon  dropped  the  subject.  I  confess, 
however,  that  I  still  have  unsatisfied  curiosity  on  the 
subject  of  that  half-dollar. 

During  the  passage  home,  in  the  steamer  from  St. 
Thomas  to  New  York,  I  was  a  great  "lion,"  as  one  of 
the  very  few  saved  from  the  shipping  during  the  great 
catastrophe.  I  believe  I  must  have  told  the  story  to 
every  one,  from  the  captain  down,  until  I  was  bored  to 
death,  and  the  event  seemed  to  me  to  have  happened 
ages  before. 


260  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

But  the  people  are  on  board  the  Brazil  steamer  a  long 
time,  with  very  little  on  the  voyage  to  interest  them, 
and  I,  with  my  story,  served  to  pass  the  time. 

When  I  reached  New  York  everything  was  in  a 
ferment,  and  I  could  hardly  believe  that  affairs  had 
reached  so  dangerous  a  crisis  in  the  comparatively 
short  time  that  I  had  been  absent. 

My  first  business  was,  of  course,  to  get  my  claim  for 
insurance  settled,  which  I  did  without  any  trouble, 
having  taken  the  precaution,  before  I  left  St.  Thomas, 
to  get  the  proper  papers  from  the  underwriter's  agent 
there.  Placing  the  money  in  a  bank,  I  went  up  to 
see  my  old  friend,  the  New  Haven  skipper,  and  found, 
with  much  satisfaction,  that  he  and  the  other  owners 
had  been  partially  insured,  and  would  not  lose  very 
much  by  the  wreck  of  the  Traveller. 

I  then  consulted  with  the  cool-headed  old  man  as 
to  what  I  should  do  with  my  money,  and  whether  it 
would  be  safe  to  buy  into  another  vessel. 

"Look  here,  William,"  said  the  old  man,  "there's 
trouble  down  South,  and  there's  going  to  be  more  afore 
there's  less.  But  I  think  there's  time  yet  to  get  down 
to  Newbern  and  buy  a  big  lot  of  pitch  and  turpentine. 
If  you  can  only  get  a  cargo  of  that  up  here,  and  store< 
away,  it'll  be  worth  a  heap  of  money  before  next 
winter." 

I  thought  the  matter  over,  went  down  to  New  York, 
and  got  the  latest  information  about  the  state  of  things 
in  North  Carolina,  and  determined  to  make  the  ven- 
ture. I  chartered  a  schooner  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
tons,  and  was  in  the  Sound  in  a  week,  and  at  the  wharf 
at  Newbern  two  days  afterwards.  There  was  great 


THE   TRAVELLER  IS   TOTALLY  LOST.         261 

excitement  in  the  city.  Volunteer  companies  were 
drilling,  and  a  great  deal  of  "tall  talking"  going  on 
about  the  Yankees,  and  how  they  were  to  be  "chawed 
up."  Indeed,  on  the  very  first  morning,  while  waiting 
to  see  a  person  on  business,  in  one  of  the  hotels,  where, 
as  usual,  the  office  and  bar  were  in  one,  I  saw  two 
very  important  and  red-nosed  gentlemen  meet  each 
other,  and  touch  their  hats  in  military  style,  when  the 
following  conversation  took  place : 

"Good-morning,  general."  "Good-morning,  colo- 
nel." "I  believe  you're  from  Virginia,  general?" 
"  Yes,  colonel !  yes,  sar !  I'm  from  Virginia,  sar !  I 
was  originally  born  in  Culpepper,  sar  !"  "  Well,  sar, 
what  does  your  State  intend  to  do  about  the  d — d 
Yankees,  sar  ?"  "  Do,  sar  ?  We'll  hang  them  !  treat 
them  just  as  we  did  John  Brown,  sar !  Will  you  take 
something,  colonel  ?"  "  Well,  general,  I  don't  care  if 
I  do,"  etc.  I  found  almost  every  man  willing  to  en- 
gage in  an  argument  about  the  existing  troubles,  but  I 
kept  away  from  public  places  as  much  as  possible,  and 
attended  strictly  to  my  business,  hurrying  the  cargo  on 
board. 

Sometimes  a  crowd  would  collect  at  the  wharf  at 
which  the  vessel  lay,  and  there  was  generally  among 
them  some  colonel  or  captain  a  little  the  worse  for 
peach-brandy,  who  would  become  the  spokesman.  The 
remarks  were  generally  interrogatory,  such  as,  "  What 
it  was  we  wanted?  Why  we  would  not  let  them 
alone  ?  Why  we  would  insist  upon  their  thrashing 
us  ?"  etc. 

As  we  found  that  on  these  occasions  we  were  only 
addressed  in  a  general  way,  as  representing  Yankees 


262  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

at  large,  we  took  no  notice  and  went  quietly  on  with 
our  business,  frequently  to  the  great  disgust  of  the  as- 
sembled patriots.  After  a  little  while  they  usually 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  u  We  were  of  no  account, 
anyhow !"  and  then  some  of  them  would  take  to  fishing 
off  the  wharf,  and  the  others  would  adjourn  to  the 
nearest  "grocery"  to  "hoist  in"  more  "peach  and 
honey."  I  suppose  bar-rooms  never  did  a  more 
thriving  business.  Even  with  all  this  ferment  before 
my  eyes,  I  could  not  realize  that  actual  war  was  so 
near,  especially  as  I  found  the  merchants  with  whom 
I  had  business  much  more  moderate  in  tone  than 
the  townspeople  at  large,  and  they  were  still  evidently 
hoping  that  some  way  out  of  the  difficulty  would  be 
found. 

We  were  a  long  time  getting  back  from  Newbern, 
and  it  proved  that  ours  was  one  of  the  last  vessels 
which  left  there  with  cargo  for  the  North.  I  had  to  lie 
nearly  a  week  just  inside  the  Inlet  to  wait  for  a  spell 
of  easterly  weather  to  work  off.  Finally  we  crossed 
the  bar  with  the  first  of  a  northwester,  which  only  car- 
ried us  up  off  Absecom,  when  more  easterly  weather 
set  in,  and  we  had  to  run  for  Delaware  Breakwater,  to 
remain  there  weather-bound  four  or  five  days  longer. 
At  last  I  arrived  in  New  York,  twenty-one  days  from 
Newbern.  I  stored  my  inflammable  cargo  near  Wee- 
hawken,  and  had  it  well  insured,  after  which  I  went 
up  to  New  Haven  and  boarded  with  my  old  friend 
until  the  spring. 

It  is  needless  for  me  to  dwell  upon  the  events  of  the 
spring  of  1861.  No  one  who  was  old  enough  to  under- 
stand what  was  taking  place  can  ever  forget  that  event- 


THE  TRAVELLER  IS  TOTALLY  LOST.        263 

ful  time.  The  coasting  and  foreign  shipping  trade  was 
almost  completely  at  a  stand-still,  and  I  soon  saw  that, 
even  if  it  were  wise  to  sell  my  stored  cargo,  without 
waiting  for  a  material  rise  in  prices,  it  was  no  time  to 
buy  into  a  new  vessel.  So  I  just  remained,  "  lying  on 
my  oars,"  and  watching  for  something  to  turn  up. 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

I  ENTER  THE   NAVY  AGAIN, — THIS  TIME  AS  AN 
OFFICER. 

SOON  after  the  firing  upon  Fort  Sumter,  I  went 
down  to  New  York  for  a  day  to  hear  the  news,  and 
to  try  to  determine  what  I  was  to  do,  for  I  was  not 
willing  to  remain  idle  when  every  one  was  going  into 
service  of  some  kind. 

Going  over  to  the  navy-yard,  the  first  person  I  met 
was  old  Erie  Kemp,  whom  I  had  left  on  board  the 

M ,  when  I  was  invalided  home  from  Spezia. 

He  was  very  glad  to  see  me,  and  I  was  delighted  to 
find  the  old  man  looking  well,  though  a  good  deal 
grizzled  and  wrinkled  since  we  parted. 

He  told  me  he  had  been  working  in  the  rigging-loft 
at  the  yard  for  more  than  a  year,  but  that  he  intended 
to  go  to  sea,  for  he  could  not  bear  that  active  service 
should  be  going  on  and  he  not  have  a  hand  in  it. 

He  further  said  that  the  Navy  Department  was 
going  to  appoint  a  large  number  of  acting  masters 
and  master's  mates,  and  he  had  been  offered  a  master's 
appointment  by  his  old  shipmate,  the  commodore  of 
the  yard,  but  he  thought  he  was  not  fit  for  a  ward- 
room officer,  and  that  he  should  try  for  the  berth  of 
signal  quartermaster  as  soon  as  he  found  a  ship  to 
suit  him. 

This  intelligence  of  Erie's  set  me  thinking,  and  as  I 
264 


I  ENTER   THE  NAVY  AS  AN  OFFICER.       265 

passed  the  office  in  the  yard  I  met  Commander  W , 

my  old  shipmate  in  the  F .  He  took  me  up  into 

the  commandant's  office,  and  I  there  registered  my 
name,  age,  previous  naval  and  other  service,  and 
present  residence.  After  this  I  made  out  a  formal 
application  for  an  appointment  as  acting  master,  to 
which  Captain  "W appended  a  very  flattering  rec- 
ommendation. 

In  about  a  fortnight  after  I  returned  to  New  Haven 
I  received  a  huge  official  envelope,  containing  my  ap- 
pointment, a  blank  oath  to  be  taken  before  a  justice 
of  the  peace,  and  orders  to  report  on  board  the  receiv- 
ing-ship at  New  York  for  instruction. 

I  went  down  at  once,  and  reported  at  the  comman- 
dant's office,  who  endorsed  my  order,  directing  me  to 
report  to  a  very  queer  gentleman,  who  then  had  com- 
mand of  the  receiving-ship.  He  was  generally  known, 
from  his  peppery  temper  and  personal  appearance,  as 
"Don  Quixote." 

The  old  line-of-battle  ship  was  securely  moored  over 
by  the  cob-dock,  lying  in  her  bed  of  mud  like  a  huge 
hippopotamus.  She  was  approached  from  the  navy- 
yard  landing  by  means  of  a  large,  covered  scow, 
which  was  drawn  back  and  forth  by  a  rope,  passing 
round  a  drum  worked  by  cranks  and  man-power,  at 
which  labor  many  a  sailor  expiated  the  offence  of 
smuggling  "skins"  of  rum. 

Ascending  the  lofty  sides,  I  came  upon  the  quarter- 
deck, where  I  was  met  by  the  officer  on  duty,  a  gray- 
haired  retired  lieutenant,  brought  from  his  home  in 
the  country  by  the  exigencies  of  the  times. 

Learning  my  business,  he  said,  "Well,  of  course 
M  23 


266  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

you'll  have  to  sec  him.  But  I  advise  you  to  keep  your 
weather  eye  open."  This  remark  rather  startled  me, 
seeming  calculated  to  prepare  me  for  an  interview  with 
a  Bengal  tiger.  "Orderly,"  continued  the  old  lieu- 
tenant, "  say  to  the  captain  that  a  Mr.  Carlyon  is  here 
to  report." 

The  orderly  went  in  to  the  poop-cabin  and  gave  his 
message.  As  the  cabin-door  was  wide  open,  I  could 
distinctly  hear  a  high,  shrill,  nasal  voice  exclaim, 
"  Another  '  blank'  haymaker  !  Does  the  Department 
take  me  for  a  bear-leader?  Where  is  the  d — d 
idiot  ?  Send  him  in !" 

I  thought  this  was  rather  rough,  considering  that  the 
gentleman  had  never  seen  me,  but  I  remembered  that 
I  was  not  intended  to  hear  his  remarks,  so  I  plucked 
up  courage  and  went  into  the  fine  old  cabin. 

I  was  met  by  a  tall,  meagre  man,  apparently  about 
fifty-five,  with  small,  piercing  black  eyes,  set  close  to- 
gether in  a  little  head,  with  long  nose  and  chin,  and  a 
small  mobile  mouth,  shaded  by  a  sparse  black  mous- 
tache. He  had  on  an  old  uniform  coat,  out  of  the 
breast-pocket  of  which  peeped  a  huge  package  of  letters 
and  orders.  Advancing  with  a  bow,  he  addressed  me 
with  an  exaggerated  politeness.  "Your  servant,  sir! 
Steward  !  give  the  gentleman  a  chair !  Ah !  your  or- 
ders to  this  vessel  ?  Yes.  I'll  endorse  them."  Hastily 
writing  his  name,  he  said,  "  Now,  sir,  you're  in  the  ser- 
vice, and  attached  to  my  ship,  and  I  wish  you  to  under- 
stand that  I'll  have  no  d — d  nonsense !" 

I  replied,  being  somewhat  nettled,  that  "  I  had  not 
come  into  the  service  for  nonsense ;  that  I  knew  very 
well  what  the  navy  was." 


/  ENTER   THE  NAVY  AS  AN  OFFICER.      267 

This  reply  seemed  to  take  him  somewhat  aback,  and 
he  said,  "  Oho !  you've  been  in  the  service  ?  I  thought 
you  were  some  infernal  rag-picker  or  blubber-hunter 
sent  to  be  licked  into  shape.  Have  a  glass  of  sherry? 
No !  'Gad,  sir !  I'll  have  you  to  know  that  you  must 
take  a  glass  of  sherry  when  I  ask  you!  Steward! 
sherry !" 

The  steward  seemed  to  have  anticipated  this  order, 
for  he  immediately  advanced  from  his  pantry  with  two 
very  large  glasses  of  the  strongest  sherry  I  ever  tasted. 
We  each  swallowed  our  wine,  when  the  captain  bowed 
again,  and  said,  "See  the  first  lieutenant,  sir;"  and  I 
left  the  presence. 

As  I  was  in  citizen's  clothes,  the  old  orderly,  outside, 
was  inclined  to  be  patronizing  and  friendly,  and  re- 
marked to  me,  in  a  low  tone,  "  You  came  off  pretty  well, 
sir.  He  cusses  'em  sometimes  so's  you  can  hear  him 
on  the  gun-deck."  I  asked  who  he  meant  by  "  'em." 
"  Why,  the  new  ones,  the  ( mustang'  officers,"  replied 
the  old  fellow,  who  seemed  to  have  had  a  good  deal  of 
the  same  kind  of  sherry  which  I  had  been  drinking. 

This  seemed  rather  a  discouraging  reception  for  one 
anxious  to  serve  the  country,  but  I  was  too  old  a  cruiser 
to  be  discouraged  by  first  appearances,  so  I  proceeded 
to  the  half-deck,  where  I  was  told  I  would  find  the 
first  lieutenant.  There  he  was,  sure  enough !— another 
retired  lieutenant,  looking  much  more  like  a  country 
lawyer  than  a  naval  officer. 

Instead  of  having  his  sword  girt  on  and  exercising 
the  men  at  the  battery,  he  was  seated  at  a  deal  table 
with  a  pair  of  old-fashioned  silver  spectacles  on,  a 
"ship's  writer"  on  each  side  of  him,  and  all  three 


268  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

scribbling  away  for  dear  life  at  "descriptive  lists," 
"passes,"  and  such  like. 

He  received  me  very  kindly,  and  told  me  that  the 
"  acting  officers,"  who  were  under  instruction,  were  not 
required  to  live  on  board,  only  coming  twice  a  day  for 
drill.  He  advised  me  to  get  my  uniform  and  outfit  at 
once,  and  prepare  for  sudden  orders. 

Going  on  shore  again,  I  engaged  boarding  in  Brook- 
lyn, and  then  went  to  a  tailor,  to  give  orders  for  my 
uniform.  Of  course  he  recommended  me  to  get  a  great 
many  things  which  I  did  not  need,  after  the  fashion  of 
his  kind,  and  seemed  especially  disgusted  that  I  knew 
that  epaulettes,  cocked  hats,  and  full-dress  coats  were 
not  required  for  the  acting  officers,  who  were  to  be 
prepared  for  rough  service. 

Next  day  I  went  on  board  the  receiving-ship  again, 
and  found  several  young  naval  officers  there  as  drill- 
masters  at  the  great  guns,  and  some  thirty  or  forty 
acting  officers,  who  were  undergoing  instruction  in  the 
drill. 

These  latter  had  been  mostly  masters  and  mates  of 
merchant  vessels,  with  occasionally  an  amateur  sailor, 
who  had  acquired  what  knowledge  of  nautical  affairs 
he  had  from  sailing  a  yacht,  or  in  some  such  way.  We 
soon  had  our  coats  off,  and  cast  loose  a  division  of  eight- 
inch  guns.  Then  we  had  a  very  lively  time  for  three- 
quarters  of  an  hour,  loading,  firing,  sponging,  shifting 
breechings  and  trucks,  and  getting  into  a  thorough 
perspiration  from  sheer  hard  work. 

After  this  we  put  on  our  coats,  and  the  lieutenant  in 
charge  of  my  gun  took  us  on  the  half-deck,  where  he 
explained  all  about  fuses  and  the  method  of  cutting 


/  ENTER   THE  NAVY  AS  AN  OFFICER.       269 

them,  the  filling  and  stropping  of  shells,  the  storage 
and  preservation  of  ammunition  of  all  sorts,  asking 
questions  as  to  his  lesson  of  the  previous  day. 

We  were  then  dismissed  until  the  afternoon,  when 
we  had  instruction  in  single-stick  and  broad-sword 
exercise  from  a  funny  old  Irish  sword- master,  who, 
notwithstanding  his  age,  jumped  about  like  a  boy,  and 
certainly  managed  to  instil  some  of  his  ardor  into  us. 

At  this  sword  drill,  as  soon  as  we  were  arranged 
opposite  each  other  in  couples,  he  would  give  the  order 
as  follows :  "  When  I  say  '  draa/  don't  ye  draa ;  but 
when  I  say  'soords/  let  your  blades  lape  from  the 
scabbards  like  the  loightning's  flash !  Draa  soords  ! 
Engage !  Number  wan,  cut  head !  Number  two, 
parry !"  And  so  we  would  go  on  until  well  tired 
out,  when,  for  a  change,  we  would  have  a  drill  with 
muskets  or  carbines.  My  old  man-of-war  training  came 
back  to  me,  and  I  was  soon  made  captain  of  a  gun ; 
and  finally  excused  from  that  and  set  to  drill  the  new- 
comers (who  joined  us  every  day)  in  the  rudiments. 

The  old  captain  would  sometimes  come  down  on  the 
gun-deck  and  look  on  at  the  drill,  dispensing  sardonic 
criticism  and  ingenious  and  original  oaths  and  epithets 
in  the  most  impartial  manner.  But  by  this  time  we 
did  not  mind  him ;  it  was  understood  to  be  "  his  way." 
Indeed,  I  found  that,  although  a  real  character,  one 
saw  the  worst  of  him  at  once,  and  he  proved  to  be  a 
gallant  and  worthy  gentleman,  who  was  always  con- 
siderate and  even  indulgent  to  those  of  us  who  attended 
strictly  to  their  duty,  as  he  always  did  himself.  He 
made  it  very  unpleasant  for  the  stupid  and  lazy,  how- 
ever, whom  he  soon  managed  to  get  rid  of. 

23* 


270  THIRTY   YEARS  AT  SEA. 

Several  weeks  wore  off  in  this  kind  of  work.  The 
war  was  fully  under  way.  Our  naval  forces  had  sailed 
for  the  reduction  of  the  forts  at  Hatteras  Inlet;  a 
thorough  blockade  of  the  Southern  coast  had  been 
established,  and  here  I  was  still  in  New  York. 

I  had  begun  to  be  very  impatient,  when  I,  with  two 
others  of  our  acting  masters,  received  orders  to  report 
at  Boston  on  board  a  frigate  which  had  just  returned 
from  the  coast  of  Brazil. 

She  had  been  ordered  home  on  account  of  the  Re- 
bellion, but  being  a  sailing-vessel,  had  made  a  long 
passage. 

The  C had  been  flag-ship  on  the  Brazils,  but  on 

arriving  home  the  flag-officer  and  many  others  had 
been  detached  and  ordered  to  other  duty.  Some  of  her 
junior  officers  had  been  promoted  and  remained  in  her, 
while  a  few  from  the  South,  who  had  offered  their  re- 
signations upon  their  arrival,  were  arrested  and  put  in 
Fort  Lafayette,  being  the  first  naval  officers  who  had 
not  been  permitted  quietly  to  resign  and  find  their  way 
across  the  Potomac.  Some  gunners  and  boatswains 
were  appointed  from  her  petty  officers,  but  her  crew 
(an  unusually  fine  body  of  men,  mostly  shipped  in 
Philadelphia,  and  in  excellent  discipline)  remained  the 
same  as  during  her  foreign  cruise,  their  time  not  having 
expired.  The  ward-room  officers  were  all  changed  with 
four  or  five  exceptions,  and  we  three  acting  masters  had 
been  ordered  to  her  as  watch-officers,  to  take  the  place 
of  lieutenants,  who  had  been  placed  in  command  of 
other  vessels. 

Soon  after  I  reported,  old  Erie  Kemp  turned  up  on 
board,  having  been  shipped  as  signal  quartermaster  in 


/  ENTER   THE  NAVY  AS  AN  OFFICER.       271 

the  place  of  one  who  had  been  appointed  a  mate.  Old 
Erie  was  so  well  known  in  the  service,  that  any  officer 
was  glad  to  have  him.  The  old  man  was  too  thorough 
a  man-of-war's  man  to  intrude  himself  upon  me  in  our 
new  relations,  but  we  had  many  a  yarn  together  on  the 
poop  during  night  watches,  and  I  could  see  that  the 
old  fellow  had  taken  care  to  give  a  good  impression  of 
me  throughout  the  ship,  which  wonderfully  smoothed 
my  way  in  carrying  on  duty. 

The  C was  a  very  fine,  large,  comfortable  frigate, 

most  substantially  and  handsomely  fitted.  The  bulk- 
heads of  her  cabins  and  ward-room  were  of  solid 
mahogany  and  bird's-eye  maple.  But  those  of  the 
main-deck  cabin  were  removed  while  she  was  in  Boston, 
and  two  guns  mounted  in  her  stern-ports,  so  that  her 
gun-deck  presented  an  unbroken  battery  from  the 
bridle-port  aft  all  the  way  round.  This  battery  con- 
sisted of  heavy  thirty-twos,  with  the  exception  of  the 
midship  division,  which  was  of  eight-inch  guns. 

Some  two  or  three  weeks  were  consumed,  as  we  lay 
off  Long  wharf,  in  Boston,  in  arranging  all  these  mat- 
ters, and  in  the  numerous  trifling  additions  and  repairs 
which  every  man-of-war  seems,  without  fail,  impera- 
tively to  need  the  moment  she  finds  herself  in  the 
vicinity  of  a  navy-yard,  and  which  she  generally  man- 
ages to  do  without  at  other  times. 

Finally,  our  sailing  orders  were  received,  and  some 
time  in  September  we  sailed  for  Hampton  Roads  "  on 
the  war-path."  We  had  pleasant  weather  on  the  pas- 
sage, and  arrived  at  Old  Point  Comfort  in  about  a  week, 
anchoring  between  the  Fort  wharf  and  the  Ripraps. 

The  first  thing  that  greeted  us  was  the  news  that  our 


272  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

captain  had  been  promoted  to  the  command  of  the 
North  Atlantic  squadron,  and  he  was  at  once  relieved 
by  a  Captain  S . 

Our  ship  was  ordered  up  to  Newport's  News,  where 
there  was  a  large  camp.  We  were  to  perform  a  sort 
of  guard  duty  for  the  James  River,  in  company  with 
the  Cumberland,  another  sailing-vessel,  and  especially, 
to  prevent  any  communication  by  water  between  the 
enemy  in  Norfolk  and  those  up  the  river,  where  they 
had  two  paddle-wheel  armed  steamers,  the  Jamestown 
and  Yorktown,  rechristened  Patrick  Henry  and  Thomas 
Jefferson. 

We  remained  at  Old  Point  Comfort  for  two  or  three 
days,  and  then  started,  in  tow  of  a  tug,  to  go  up  to 
Newport's  News.  As  it  was  likely  that  we  would  re- 
ceive some  attention  from  the  heavy  battery  at  Sewall's 
Point  as  we  passed  there  on  the  way  up,  we  had  the 
tug  on  our  starboard  side,  out  of  harm's  way,  and  we 
were  at  our  quarters,  with  guns  cast  loose,  to  return  any 
fire  we  might  receive.  We  heard  nothing  from  the 
battery,  however,  and  saw  but  little,  for  it  required 
experienced  eyes  to  make  it  out  at  all,  so  well  was  it 
masked  by  the  foliage,  and  lying  near  the  level  of  the 
water. 

Arrived  at  Newport's  News,  we  moored  ship  a  little 
below  the  wharf,  at  headquarters,  the  Cumberland  being 
in  a  line  with  us,  up-streani,  three  or  four  cables'  lengths 
off. 

As  soon  as  we  were  moored,  we  cut  two  long,  slim 
pine-trees  from  the  grove  on  shore,  and  shaped  them 
into  an  A,  with  a  netting  dropping  from  the  bar,  which 
we  secured  across  our  bows  by  lines  from  the  jib-boom 


/  ENTER    THE  NAVY  AS  AN  OFFICER.       273 

end  and  whiskers.  This  was  intended  to  fend  off  any 
floating  torpedoes  or  fire-rafts  which  "  our  friends  the 
enemy"  might  see  fit  to  send  down  upon  us  with  an 
ebb-tide  and  a  dark  night. 

We  never  caught  any  torpedoes  in  our  net,  they  had 
hardly  come  to  that  point  yet,  but  we  did  collect  ex- 
traordinary quantities  of  floating  debris  of  all  sorts;  and 
once  a  dead  mule  paid  us  a  visit,  announcing  his  pres- 
ence to  the  sense  of  smell  as  well  as  that  of  sight.  He 
was  no  doubt  a  Confederate  mule,  and  wanted  to  annoy 
us. 

We  also  got  springs  upon  our  cables,  and  frequently 
exercised  the  crew  in  springing  our  broadside  in  various 
directions.  This  we  generally  managed  to  do  very 
briskly,  when  the  tide  was  not  too  strong ;  but  I  may 
say  here,  that  when  it  came  to  doing  it  in  dead  earnest, 
and  we  thought  our  lives  almost  depended  upon  it,  she 
would  not  spring  an  inch,  on  account  of  the  tide. 

The  winter  was  not  unpleasant,  taken  as  a  whole.  It 
was  very  cold  sometimes,  and  we  had  no  fires  except  in 
the  galley,  as  we  were  liable  to  go  to  quarters  and  open 
the  magazine  at  any  time. 

We  drilled  and  kept  watch  and  ate  our  meals  with 
great  regularity.  There  was  no  danger  of  grounding 
on  a  reef  made  of  our  beef-bones,  as  some  long-an- 
chored ships  are  said  to  have  done,  for  although  less 
than  musket-shot  from  the  left  bank,  we  were  in  the 
fair  way  of  the  channel,  and  the  water  was  very  deep. 

Just  abreast  of  us,  over  the  flats,  on  the  opposite  side 

of  the  river,  was  a  rebel  battery,  casemated  with  logs 

and  earth,  to  defend  the  entrance  of  the  Nansemond 

River,  which  there  opened  into  the  James.     This  bat- 

M* 


274  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

tery  used  to  fire  at  us  occasionally,  the  solid  shot  just 
failing  to  reach  us,  and  sometimes,  when  spent,  rolling 
along  the  surface  of  the  water  and  sinking  in  a  very 
futile  and  inconsequent  sort  of  way  when  only  a  few 
yards  off  from  us. 

Our  small  gunboats  and  tugs  would  sometimes  give 
this  battery,  called  the  Pig's  Point  Battery,  a  stirring 
up  with  their  Parrott  guns,  with  no  great  result  on 
either  side. 

One  night  some  of  the  Cumberland's  armed  boats 
went  over  there  and  burnt  a  floating  battery  which 
they  were  building  right  under  their  guns,  coming 
off  without  harm,  although  the  shot  flew  about  their 
neighborhood  in  a  very  lively  manner. 

Sunday  night,  or  rather  Monday  morning,  was  almost 
always  a  stirring  time  for  us  that  winter,  for  the  armed 
steamers  Patrick  Henry  and  Thomas  Jefferson  gener- 
ally came  down  before  daylight,  threatening  to  run  by 
us,  and  either  get  into  Norfolk  or  run  the  gauntlet  of 
the  vessels  in  Hampton  Roads  and  get  to  sea.  The 
south  side  of  the  river  being  very  shoal,  a  vessel  of 
any  draught  must  necessarily  pass  quite  close  to  us. 

The  watch  always  slept  on  the  deck  at  their  guns, 
where  I  have  often  seen  them  with  their  blankets  and 
pea-jackets  covered  with  snow,  so  the  battery  was 
always  cast  loose  and  ready  before  the  drum  had  fairly 
begun  to  beat  to  quarters,  but  the  steamers  never  gave 
us  a  chance  at  them.  Then  on  Monday  morning  we 
very  often  had  boat-loads  of  "  contrabands,"  coming  in 
from  the  other  side.  Sunday  being  a  holiday,  the  ne- 
groes were  not  so  readily  missed,  and  would  slip  off, 
and  then,  having  some  old  canoe  or  skiff  concealed  in 


/  ENTER   THE  NAVY  AS  AN  OFFICER.       275 

the  Nansemond,  or  some  of  the  other  creeks,  would 
drop  silently  down  in  the  darkness,  taking  to  their 
oars  or  paddles  when  they  got  into  the  James  and 
daylight  was  near.  Very  often  the  Pig's  Point  Bat- 
tery would  fire  at  them,  and  the  poor  darkies  would 
arrive  alongside  ashy  gray  from  fright  and  exertion 
combined. 

The  orders  were  at  that  time  to  receive  any  runaways 
who  once  touched  our  side,  but  not  to  afford  any  assist- 
ance before  they  reached  us.  This  they  sometimes 
could  not  do,  on  account  of  the  current,  and  then  they 
had  to  make  for  Old  Point,  miles  below,  at  the  immi- 
nent risk  of  being  picked  up  by  a  vigilant  and  pestilent 
little  rebel  tug  which  generally  lay  in  wait  under 
Craney  Island  batteries,  like  a  spider  watching  for 
flies.  When  the  contrabands  did  get  on  board  they 
would  tell  most  wonderful  stories,  but  little  that  was 
of  any  importance  was  ever  gathered  from  them. 

The  bundles  which  they  generally  brought  with  them 
contained  the  most  incongruous  and  ridiculous  collec- 
tion of  worthless  traps  it  is  possible  to  conceive  of. 
One  old  woman,  I  remember,  brought  off  through  real 
danger  and  tribulation  a  heavy  iron  skillet  for  baking 
bread,  a  bag  of  goose-feathers,  and  another  of  dried 
herbs.  She  never  parted  with  these  impedimenta  for 
one  moment  during  the  time  she  remained  on  board, 
sitting  upon  them  while  she  ate  her  share  of  the  break- 
fast provided  for  them,  and  carrying  them  into  the  tug 
which  took  them  down  to  Hampton  with  as  much  care 
as  if  they  were  worth  their  weight  in  gold.  Another 
woman  in  the  same  party  appeared  to  have  all  her 
spare  clothing  tied  about  her  person,  while  both  hands 


276  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

were  occupied  with  a  large  old  wooden  clock,  which 
would  have  been  dear  at  a  dollar.  But  of  course  these 
poor  household  effects  were  valuable  in  their  sight, 
and  it  was  rather  touching  to  see  how  they  clung  to 
them  as  they  entered  the  unknown  wide  world  before 
them. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 


THE  FIRST  DAY  OF  THE  BATTLE  AT  HAMPTON  ROADS. 

WE  often  went  on  shore  at  the  camp  at  Newport's 
News,  and  were  on  friendly  terms  with  many  of  the 
officers  of  the  regiments  stationed  there. 

They  were  generally  very  good  and  gallant  fellows, 
with  no  experience  of  military  life,  however,  most  of 
them  never  having  seen  a  shot  fired  in  earnest.  Prac- 
tical jokes,  games,  and  convivial  parties  occupied  fully 
as  much  of  their  thoughts  and  time  as  did  battalion 
and  skirmish  drill. 

There  were  about  four  thousand  men  encamped 
there,  most  of  whom,  before  the  next  autumn,  had  been 
laid  away  in  soldiers'  graves,  under  the  soil  of  the 
Peninsula  or  the  mud  of  the  Chickahominy,  or  else 
had  earned  the  title  of  veterans  at  the  battles  in  front 
of  Richmond,  learning  their  business  as  soldiers  in  the 
line  of  battle. 

About  the  middle  of  the  winter,  the  time  for  which 
our  crew  was  enlisted  expired,  and  they  were  sent 
North  to  be  paid  off,  their  places  being  partially  sup- 
plied by  drafts  of  men  from  the  receiving-ship  at  New 
York  and  some  of  the  ships  at  Hampton  Roads.  They 
were  by  no  means  so  fine  a  body  of  men,  nor  equal  in 
number,  to  those  we  lost,  for  by  this  time  the  drain  of 
the  war  was  beginning  to  tell. 

Some  of  the  marines  were  also  drafted  away,  and 
24  277 


278  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

their  places  supplied  by  a  company  of  the  Ninety-ninth 
New  York  Volunteers,  or  Union  Coast  Guard,  a  regi- 
ment originally  raised  for  sea-coast  service. 

These  soldiers  were  for  the  most  part  stationed  at 
the  great  guns,  as  we  were  so  short-handed  that  there 
were  not  enough  blue-jackets  to  completely  man  them. 

This  arrangement  was  considered  merely  temporary, 
as  it  was  understood  that  the  two  sailing-frigates  were 
to  be  relieved  by  steamers  as  early  in  the  spring  as 
possible. 

It  was  manifestly  injudicious  to  leave  them  where 
they  were,  an  easy  prey  to  the  powerful  ironclad  which 
was  reported  to  be  building  at  Norfolk  upon  the  hull 
of  the  partly-burnt  frigate  Merrimac,  which  the  enemy 
had  raised,  and  were  said  to  be  working  at  with  great 
vigor.  Reports  came  constantly,  by  contrabands  and 
refugees,  that  the  mysterious  vessel  was  nearly  ready, 
and  was  to  "  clean  out"  Hampton  Roads  and  James 
River  when  she  did  appear.  Some  said  that  she  was 
roofed  with  railroad  iron,  while  others  said  the  armor 
was  of  thick  iron  plates.  Of  course,  we  knew  nothing 
of  ironclads  in  those  days,  and  were  inclined  to  regard 
this  one  as  a  myth ;  but  at  any  rate  we  felt  certain  that 
if  we  could  once  get  her  under  our  broadside,  we  could 
soon  send  her  to  the  bottom. 

About  the  1st  of  March  our  captain  was  detached 
from  the  ship,  but  remained  on  board,  waiting  a  passage 
South  to  take  another  command.  Our  first  lieutenant 
assumed  command  temporarily,  being  ordered,  when 
relieved  by  another  vessel  (about  the  10th  of  March), 
to  take  the  ship  to  Philadelphia  and  lay  her  up. 

At   this   time,  too,  we  got  a  Norfolk   newspaper, 


BATTLE  AT  HAMPTON  ROADS.  279 

brought  by  an  "  intelligent  contraband,"  in  which  was 
a  violent  diatribe  against  the  Confederate  naval  author- 
ities for  their  bad  management  in  fitting  out  the  Mer- 
rimac,  declaring  that  her  iron  plating  was  a  failure, 
her  machinery  was  defective,  and  that  she  nearly  sank 
when  brought  out  of  dock ;  and,  in  fine,  that  she 
was  of  no  use  except  to  be  moored  in  the  harbor  as  a 
floating-battery. 

It  proved  that  this  was  a  well-conceived  trick  to 
throw  us  oif  our  guard.  The  authorities  at  Washing- 
ton were  better  informed,  and  were  not  deceived,  except 
that  the  Merrimac  was  ready  a  few  days  sooner  than 
they  expected. 

At  the  very  time  we  were  with  a  feeling  of  relief 
reading  this  article,  they  had  steam  up  on  the  Merri- 
mac for  trial  of  machinery,  and  her  officers  and  crew 
were  on  board  and  under  drill.  It  was  the  old  story 
of  "crying  wolf." 

The  8th  of  March  was  a  fine,  mild  day,  such  as  they 
often  have  in  Southern  Virginia  during  the  early  spring; 
and  every  one  on  board  our  ship  was  enjoying  the  weather, 
as  well  as  pleasing  themselves  with  the  prospect  of  going 
North  in  a  day  or  two  at  farthest,  and  being  relieved 
from  the  monotony  of  a  blockade  at  anchor. 

I  had  the  afternoon  watch,  and  was  pacing  listlessly 
up  and  down  the  poop,  watching  the  squabbles  of  the 
gulls,  and  occasionally  exchanging  a  word  with  old 
Erie,  who  was  pottering  about,  clearing  his  ensign,  and 
overhauling  his  signal-flags. 

It  has  always  been  a  source  of  wonder  to  me  how  the 
gulls  find  out  when  it  is  dinner-time.  But  they  do. 
All  over  the  world,  wherever  a  man-of-war  is  anchored, 


280  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

they  appear  regularly  when  the  mess  things  are  being 
washed  up,  and  the  cooks  are  taking  the  buckets  of 
broken  victuals  to  the  head,  to  throw  overboard.  Then 
they  scream  and  fight  for  the  remnants,  as  they  drift 
astern,  till  all  is  consumed,  when  they  betake  themselves 
to  fresh  fields, — out  of  sight, — until  the  rattling  of  the 
mess-tins,  at  the  next  meal,  summons  them  again. 

One  bell  had  struck  some  time  before,  when  I  saw 
Erie  and  the  quartermaster  on  watch,  both  intently 
gazing  at  something  over  in  the  Norfolk  channel.  Then 
the  latter  came  to  me,  and  said,  "  I  wish  you  would 
take  the  glass  and  have  a  look  over  there,  sir.  I  believe 
that  thing  is  a-comin'  down  at  last." 

Sure  enough !  TJiere  was  a  huge  black  roof,  with  a 
smoke-stack  emerging  from  it,  creeping  down  towards 
Sewell's  Point.  Three  or  four  satellites,  in  the  shape 
of  tugs  and  small  steamers,  surrounded  and  preceded 
her. 

They  were  not  seen  from  Hampton  Roads  until  after 
we  had  made  them  out ;  but  when  they  did  show  them- 
selves clear  of  the  Point,  there  was  a  great  stir  among  the 
shipping.  But  they  turned  up  into  the  James  River 
channel,  instead  of  down  towards  the  fort,  approach- 
ing our  anchorage  with  ominous  silence  and  delibera- 
tion. 

The  officers  were  now  all  gathered  on  the  poop  look- 
ing at  the  strange  craft,  and  hazarding  all  sorts  of ' 
conjectures  about  her ;  and  when  it  was  plain  that  she 
was   coming  to  attack  us,  we  beat  to  quarters,  the 
Cumberland's  drum  answering  ours. 

We  tried  the  springs  to  see  if  the  broadside  could 
be  brought  to  bear,  but  the  ship  would  not  budge, 


BATTLE   OF  HAMPTON  ROADS.  281 

owing  to  the  strength  of  the  tide,  which  had  turned 
ebb. 

By  a  little  after  four  bells  the  strange  monster  was 
close  enough  for  us  to  make  out  her  plating,  and  we 
tried  her  with  a  solid  shot  from  one  of  our  stern  guns, 
the  projectile  glancing  off  her  forward  casemate  like  a 
'drop  of  water  from  a  duck's  back.  When  I  saw  this 
my  heart  sank  for  the  first  time.  Instantly  she  opened 
one  of  her  forward  ports  and  answered  us  with  grape, 
killing  and  wounding  quite  a  number.  She  then  passed 
us  at  a  distance  of  about  two  hundred  yards,  receiving 
our  broadside  and  giving  one  in  return. 

Our  shot  had  apparently  no  effect,  but  the  result  of 
her  broadside  on  board  our  ship  was  simply  terrible. 
One  of  her  shells  dismounted  an  eight-inch  gun,  and 
either  killed  or  wounded  every  one  of  the  gun's  crew, 
while  the  slaughter  at  the  other  guns  was  fearful. 
There  were  comparatively  few  wounded,  however,  the 
huge  shells  she  threw  killing  outright  as  a  general 
thing. 

Our  gun-deck  was  in  an  instant  changed  into  a 
slaughter-pen,  with  lopped-oif  arms  and  legs  and  bleed- 
ing, blackened  bodies  scattered  about  by  the  shells,  while 
blood  and  brains  actually  dripped  from  the  beams.  I 
saw  one  poor  fellow  crawling  down  to  the  doctor  with 
his  chest  transfixed  by  a  splinter  as  thick  as  my  wrist, 
but  the  shell  wounds  were  even  worse. 

Poor  old  Erie  Kemp  was  brought  below  from  his 
station  at  the  wheel  with  both  legs  off.  The  gallant 
old  man  was  cheering  and  exhorting  the  men  to  stand 
by  the  ship  almost  with  his  last  breath,  for  he  died  in 
a  few  minutes.  In  the  excitement  of  the  moment  I 

24* 


282  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

did  not  much  heed  his  death,  but  I  have  often  thought 
kindly  since  of  my  rough  but  good-hearted  early  friend, 
and  have  great  consolation  in  the  thought  that  his  death 
was  the  one  which  he  himself  would  have  chosen. 

After  the  broadside  the  Merrimac  passed  on  up  the 
river,  and  our  poor  fellows,  thinking  she  had  had  enough 
of  it  and  was  for  getting  away,  actually  began  to  cheer. 
For  many  of  them  it  was  the  last  cheer  they  were  ever 
to  give. 

We  soon  saw  what  her  object  was,  for,  standing  up 
abreast  of  the  Cumberland  and  putting  her  helm  aport, 
she  ran  her  ram  right  into  her.  That  ship  kept  up  a 
splendid  and  deliberate,  but  ineffectual,  fire  until  she 
filled  and  sank,  which  she  did  in  a  very  few  minutes. 

A  small  freight-steamer  of  the  quartermaster's  de- 
partment, and  some  tugs  and  boats  from  the  Camp 
wharf,  gallantly  put  off  to  rescue  the  survivors,  who 
were  forced  to  jump  overboard.  In  spite  of  shot  from 
the  rebel  gunboats,  one  of  which  went  through  the 
boiler  of  the  freight-boat,  they  succeeded  in  saving  a 
great  many. 

During  this  time  we  discovered  that  we  were  on  fire 
in  the  sick-bay,  in  the  wardroom,  near  the  after-maga- 
zine, and  in  the  main-hold,  the  fires  being  caused  by 
hot  shot.  Some  of  these  fires  were  extinguished  by 
the  pumps,  but  the  most  dangerous  one,  that  near  the 
after-magazine,  was  never  extinguished,  in  spite  of  all 
exertion,  and  was  the  cause  of  the  explosion  which 
during  the  following  night  blew  the  ship  to  pieces. 

Seeing  the  fate  of  the  Cumberland,  which  sank  in 
very  deep  water,  we  set  our  jib  and  top-sails  and  slipped 
the  chains,  under  a  sharp  fire  from  the  gunboats,  which 


BATTLE  OF  HAMPTON  ROADS.  283 

killed  and  wounded  many.  With  these  sails  and  the 
help  of  the  Zouave,  a  tugboat,  we  now  ran  the  ship  on 
shore  on  the  edge  of  the  flats  which  make  off  from 
Newport's  News  Point.  Here  the  vessel  heeled  over  as 
the  tide  fell,  leaving  us  only  twro  guns  with  which  we 
could  fight,  those  in  the  stern-ports. 

By  this  time,  two  large  steam-frigates  and  a  sailing- 
frigate,  towed  by  tugs,  had  started  up  from  Hampton 
Roads  to  our  assistance.  They  all  got  aground  before 
they  had  achieved  half  the  distance ;  and  perhaps  it  was 
fortunate  that  they  did  so,  for  they  would  probably 
have  met  the  fate  of  the  Cumberland,  in  which  case 
the  lives  of  the  twelve  or  thirteen  hundred  men  on 
board  of  them  would  have  been  uselessly  sacrificed. 

After  the  Merrimac  had  sunk  the  Cumberland,  she 
came  down  the  channel  and  attacked  us  again.  This 
was  at  about  five  bells  in  the  afternoon.  Taking  up 
a  position  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  astern 
of  us,  she  deliberately  raked  us  with  her  eighty- 
pounder  shells,  while  the  steamers  from  up  the  river 
and  those  which  had  come  out  with  the  ironclad  from 
Norfolk  all  concentrated  the  fire  of  their  small  rifled 
guns  upon  us. 

At  this  time  we  lost  two  officers,  both  elderly  men. 
One  was  an  acting  master,  who  was  killed  on  the 
quarter-deck  by  a  small  rifle-bolt,  which  struck  him 
between  the  shoulders  and  went  right  through  him. 
The  other  was  our  old  coast-pilot,  who  was  mortally 
wounded  by  a  fragment  of  shell. 

We  kept  up  as  strong  a  fire  as  we  could  from  our 
two  stern  guns,  but  the  men  were  swept  away  from 
them  repeatedly,  and  finally  both  pieces  were  disabled, 


284  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

one  having  the  muzzle  knocked  off  and  the  other  being 
dismounted.  Rifles  and  carbines  were  also  used  by  us 
to  try  to  pick  off  some  of  the  gun's  crews  when  the 
Merrimac's  ports  were  opened  to  fire ;  but  there  was  no 
effect  apparent  to  us  from  the  fire  of  these  small  arms, 
although  we  heard  afterwards  that  we  had  wounded 
her  captain. 

It  is  useless  to  attempt  to  describe  the  condition  of 
our  decks  by  this  time.  No  one  who  has  not  seen  it 
can  appreciate  the  effect  of  such  a  fire  in  a  confined 
space.  The  ship  was  on  fire  near  the  magazine  all  this 
time,  and  men  were  being  killed  and  maimed  every 
minute. 

Just  before  our  stern  guns  were  disabled  there  was  a 
call  for  powder  for  them,  and  none  appearing,  I  took  a 
look  on  the  berth-deck  to  find  the  cause.  After  my 
eyes  had  become  a  little  accustomed  to  the  darkness 
and  to  the  sharp  smoke  from  burning  oak,  I  saw  that 
the  line  of  cooks  and  wardroom  servants,  stationed  to 
pass  "  full  boxes"  from  the  after-magazine,  had  been 
raked  by  a  shell,  and  the  whole  of  them  either  killed  or 
wounded, — a  sufficient  reason  why  there  was  no  powder. 
The  officer  in  command  of  our  powder  division  was  a 
brother  of  the  captain  of  the  Merrimac. 

The  shells  searched  us  everywhere.  A  man  previ- 
ously wounded  was  killed  in  the  cockpit,  where  he  had 
been  taken  for  surgical  care.  The  deck  of  the  cockpit 
had  to  be  kept  sluiced  with  water  from  the  pumps  to 
extinguish  the  fire  from  the  shells,  although  dreadfully 
wounded  men  were  lying  on  this  deck  and  the  water 
was  icy  cold.  But  the  shell-room  hatch  opened  into 
the  cockpit,  and  fire  must  be  kept  out  of  there  at  all 


BATTLE   OF  HAMPTON  ROADS.  285 

hazards,  or  the  whole  of  us  would   go  into  the  air 
together. 

In  the  wardroom  and  steerage  the  bulkheads  were 
all  knocked  down  by  shell  and  by  the  axemen,  making 
way  for  the  hose,  forming  a  scene  of  perfect  ruin  and 
desolation.  Clothing,  books,  glass,  china,  photographs, 
chairs,  bedding,  and  tables  were  all  mixed  in  one  con- 
fused heap. 

Some  time  before  this,  our  commanding  officer,  a  fine 
young  man,  had  been  instantly  killed  by  a  fragment  of 
shell,  which  struck  him  in  the  chest.  His  watch  and 
one  of  his  shoulder-straps  (the  other  was  gone)  were 
afterwards  sent  safely  to  his  father,  who  was  a  veteran 
of  the  War  of  1812. 

"We  had  now  borne  this  renewed  fire  for  an  hour,  and 
there  was  no  prospect  of  assistance  from  any  quarter, 
while  we  were  being  slaughtered  without  being  able  to 
return  a  shot.  Seeing  this,  the  officer  who  had  succeeded 
to  the  command  of  the  ship,  upon  consultation  with  our 
former  captain  (who  was  still  on  board  as  a  guest),  or- 
dered our  flag  to  be  struck.  We  had  then  been  under 
fire  altogether  more  than  two  hours.  It  is  not  a 
pleasant  thing  to  have  to  strike  your  flag,  but  I  did  not 
see  then,  and  I  do  not  see  now,  what  else  we  were  to  do. 

A  boat  now  boarded  us,  with  an  officer  from  the 
Merrimac,  who  said  he  would  take  charge  of  the  ship. 
He  did  nothing,  however,  but  gaze  about  a  little,  and 
pick  up  one  or  two  carbines  and  cutlasses,  I  presume 
as  trophies.  One  of  the  small  gunboats  at  this  time 
came  alongside,  and  the  officer  from  the  Merrimac  left. 
The  captain  of  the  small  steamer  said  that  we  must  get 
out  of  the  ship  at  once,  as  he  had  orders  to  burn  her, 


286  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

and  some  of  our  people  went  on  board  as  prisoners, 
but  not  many.  As  her  upper  deck  was  about  even  with 
our  main-deck  ports  I  stepped  out  of  one,  and  told  the 
rebel  officer  that  we  had  many  dreadfully  wounded 
men,  and  that  we  must  have  time  to  collect  and  place 
them  on  board  his  vessel,  and  also  that  our  ship  was  so 
well  on  fire  that  no  one  could  put  it  out. 

While  talking  to  him,  he  said,  "  There !  those  scoun- 
drels on  shore  are  firing  at  me,  now ;  you  must  make 
haste !"  In  fact,  the  rifle-balls  were  flying  and  "  ping- 
ing" about  us  briskly,  scarring  the  rusty  black  sides  of 
the  poor  old  frigate,  for  the  Twentieth  Indiana  Regi- 
ment had  come  down  from  the  camp  to  the  Point,  and 
had  opened  fire,  from  behind  the  pine-trees,  upon  the 
gunboat  lying  alongside  of  us. 

Having  no  desire  to  be  killed  by  our  own  people,  I 
jumped  back  into  the  port  just  as  the  steamer,  finding 
it  too  hot,  shoved  off  and  left  us. 

As  soon  as  he  did  so  they  all  opened  upon  us  again, 
although  we  had  a  white  flag  flying  to  show  we  were 
out  of  action,  and  we  were  certainly  not  responsible  for 
the  action  of  the  regiment  on  shore. 

After  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  more,  however,  the  Mer- 
rimac  and  her  consorts  all  withdrew  and  went  down 
the  channel  to  pay  attention  to  the  frigate  Minnesota, 
which  was  hard  and  fast  aground.  Fortunately,  the 
Merrimac  drew  too  much  water  to  come  near  the  Min- 
nesota at  that  stage  of  tide,  and  the  small  fry  were  soon 
driven  off  by  her  battery.  Night  now  approaching, 
the  whole  Confederate  flotilla  withdrew,  and  went  up 
the  Norfolk  channel. 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 

THE  SECOND   DAY7S  FIGHT. — THE   MERRIMAC  AND 
MONITOR. 

ALTHOUGH  relieved  from  the  pressure  of  actual 
battle,  we  had  still  the  consciousness  that  fire  was 
making  progress  in  the  close  vicinity  of  our  after- 
magazine,  and  we  felt  as  I  suppose  men  would  who 
are  walking  on  the  crater  of  a  volcano  on  the  verge 
of  eruption.  Fortunately  for  us,  the  Merrimac  and 
her  consorts  had  not  fired  much  at  our  upper  works 
and  spars,  the  principal  damage  being  inflicted  upon 
the  gun-  and  berth-decks.  We  had,  therefore,  the 
launch  and  first  cutter, — large  boats, — which,  with  a 
little  stuffing  of  shot-holes,  were  fit  to  carry  us  the 
short  distance  which  intervened  between  the  ship  and 
the  shore. 

We  got  the  yard-  and  stay-tackles  up  and  the  boats 
into  the  water  as  soon  as  possible,  the  fire  gaining  and 
the  sun  going  down  in  the  mean  time. 

By  successive  boat-loads  the  survivors  were  all 
landed.  The  launch  was  brought  under  the  bill-port, 
and  the  wounded,  in  cots,  were  lowered  into  her  by  a 
whip  from  the  foreyard,  which  was  braced  up  for  the 
purpose. 

This  boat  nearly  filled  with  water  on  her  last  trip 
from  the  injuries  she  had  received,  obliging  the  officers, 
who  had  stayed  till  the  last,  to  jump  overboard  into  the 

287 


288  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

icy-cold  water,  and  relieve  the  boat  of  most  of  their 
weight  by  leaning  their  hands  on  the  gunwale.  She 
grounded  in  water  about  waist-deep,  and  the  soldiers 
from  the  camp  waded  out  and  assisted  our  men  in 
bearing  on  shore,  and  to  the  log  hospital  of  the  Twen- 
tieth Indiana,  those  who  were  in  cots. 

We  had  managed  to  get  the  body  of  our  gallant 
young  commanding  officer  on  shore  in  one  of  the  cots 
as  a  wounded  man.  The  majority  of  the  men  were  so 
"  gallied"  by  the  time  the  action  was  over,  from  en- 
during so  severe  a  fire  without  being  able  to  respond, 
and  also  by  the  possibility  of  an  explosion  occurring 
at  any  time,  that  I  doubt  whether  they  could  have 
been  got  to  thus  bring  off  a  man  whom  they  knew  to 
be  dead.  The  officers  repeatedly  went  round  the  decks 
looking  for  wounded  men,  and  I  firmly  believe  that 
all  who  were  alive  were  brought  off.  We  brought  on 
shore  about  thirty  wounded,  half  of  whom  afterwards 
died,  and  we  lost,  in  killed  and  missing,  about  one 
hundred  and  twelve.  These  numbers  imply  death  or 
wounds  from  gunshot,  drowning,  or  captivity,  to  about 
one  in  every  three  who  were  on  board  when  the  action 
commenced.  My  memory  may  not  serve  me  with 
entire  accuracy,  but  these  were  about  the  numbers. 

Our  exhausted  people  were  taken  charge  of  by  the 
military  in  the  camp,  and  supplied  with  much-needed 
food  and  clothing.  In  expectation  of  having  to  swim 
for  it,  a  number  had  kicked  off  their  shoes  or  lost  them 
in  the  mud  while  wading  from  the  boat  to  the  shore. 
Some  had  taken  off  their  coats,  and  others  had  lost 
their  caps  and  other  portions  of  their  clothing  during 
the  engagement,  while  all  had  their  faces  and  hands 


THE  MERRIMAC  AND  MONITOR.         289 

thoroughly  blackened  and  begrimed  with  powder  and 
smoke. 

Our  poor  old  ship,  deserted,  with  the  dead  lying  as 
they  fell,  burnt  till  about  midnight,  when  she  blew  up. 

The  next  morning,  the  9th  of  March,  dawned  fine 
and  spring-like,  although  a  haze  hung  over  the  water, 
throuo-h  which  the  sun,  as  he  rose,  looked  red  and 

o  *  * 

angry ;  but  it  soon  cleared  off  finely.  The  camp  was 
early  astir,  the  regiments  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle, 
while  the  surviving  crews  of  the  two  ships  were  placed 
in  the  earthworks  on  the  land  side  of  the  camp  to  man 
the  howitzers  placed  there.  It  was  expected  that  the 
Merrimac  would  return  that  morning  to  complete  her 
work,  and  information  had  been  received  that  General 
Magruder,  with  a  large  force,  was  marching  over  from 
Yorktown  to  take  the  camp  in  the  rear,  and  thus,  in 
conjunction  with  the  ironclad,  force  a  surrender. 

About  six  in  the  morning  the  Merrimac  was  seen 
through  the  mist  coming  down  again,  apparently  in- 
tending first  to  finish  the  Minnesota,  which  was  still 
aground.  Of  course  we  watched  her  proceedings  with 
breathless  interest,  as  did  thousands  of  others  on  both 
sides. 

Coming  up  the  James  River  channel  again,  the  iron- 
clad opened  fire  on  the  Minnesota  with  her  bow  guns, 
hulling  her  once  or  twice,  when  suddenly  there  glided 
out  from  under  the  shadow  of  the  huge  frigate  a  little 
raft-like  vessel  almost  flush  with  the  water,  and  bearing 
on  her  deck  a  black  turret. 

At  first  no  one  in  the  camp  seemed  to  know  what  it 
was  or  how  it  came  there,  but  at  last  it  was  conceded 
that  it  must  be  the  new  ironclad  which  we  had  heard 
N  25 


290  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

was  being  built  in  New  York.  It  was  indeed  the 
Monitor,  and  although  too  late  to  prevent  yesterday's 
loss,  she  was  in  the  nick  of  time  to  prevent  far  more 
serious  damage.  Even  then  she  seemed  so  small  and 
trifling,  that  we  feared  she  would  only  constitute  addi- 
tional prey  for  the  leviathan. 

We  were  quite  as  much  surprised  as  those  on  board 
the  Merrimac  could  be  to  see  this  pigmy  deliberately 
steam  towards  the  huge  ironclad  and  enter  into  an 
engagement  with  her,  exchanging  the  heaviest  shot 
then  in  use  without  apparent  damage  to  either  side, 
and  mano3uvring  for  the  purpose  of  finding  vulnerable 
points. 

After  a  time  the  Merrimac  seemed  to  give  up  the 
attempt  to  injure  the  Monitor  by  her  fire,  and  turned 
her  attention  once  more  to  the  Minnesota,  hulling  her 
again,  and  exploding  the  boiler  of  a  tugboat  lying 
alongside.  In  the  mean  time  the  Minnesota's  battery 
was  brought  to  bear,  and  her  eight-  and  ten-inch  .shot 
must  have  hit  the  Merrimac  fifty  times,  but  glanced 
off  from  her  sloping  roof  without  inflicting  any  injury. 
By  this  time  the  gallant  little  Monitor  had  again  come 
up  and  interposed  between  the  ironclad  and  her  prey, 
firing  her  two  guns  in  the  "one,  two"  manner  of  a 
pugilist  delivering  his  blows. 

This  caused  the  Merrimac  to  shift  her  position,  and 
in  doing  so  she  grounded  for  a  few  minutes.  There 
was  now  a  good  deal  of  firing  and  a  cloud  of  smoke, 
from  which  presently  emerged  the  Merrimac,  steaming 
away  down  the  channel,  pursued  by  the  Monitor,  like 
a  bull-dog  after  a  bull. 

Apparently  as  a  desperate  and  final  effort  to  rid  her- 


THE  MERR1MAC  AND  MONITOR.  291 

self  of  her  little  antagonist,  she  now  suddenly  put  her 
helm  down,  and  ran  full  speed  right  on  to  the  Monitor. 
As  the  beak  struck  her,  the  Monitor  fired  an  eleven- 
inch  solid  shot  right  into  her  roof,  at  only  a  few  feet 
distance.  I  have  never  heard  exactly  what  damage 
this  shot  did,  but  at  any  rate,  it  was  nearly  the  last  one 
fired.  The  blow  of  the  ram  did  scarcely  any  harm  to 
the  Monitor,  and  the  Merrimac  almost  immediately 
drew  off  and  went  up  to  anchor  above  Craney  Island. 

So  ended  the  first  ironclad  engagement.  From  that 
day  until  she  was  blown  up  by  her  own  people,  about 
two  months  afterwards,  this  formidable  vessel  never 
effected  anything  of  moment ;  but  the  fact  of  her  pres- 
ence no  doubt  affected  the  whole  plan  of  campaign  for 
that  season. 

About  the  time  that  she  retired  from  the  contest,  the 
head  of  Magruder's  column  appeared  on  the  banks  of 
the  James,  above  the  camp,  and  we  could  see  a  mounted 
staff  reconnoitring.  But  we  were  too  strong  and  well 
intrenched  for  them  to  attack  without  aid  from  the 
water.  They  were  a  day  too  late,  and,  like  the  King 
of  France,  after  marching  up  the  hill,  marched  down 
again. 

That  evening  a  steamer  belonging  to  the  Quarter- 
master's Department  came  up  to  the  camp  from  Fortress 
Monroe  with  ammunition  and  provisions.  The  officers 
and  men  of  the  two  ships  were  informed  by  General 
Mansfield  (a  fine-looking,  energetic  old  officer, — after- 
wards killed  at  Antietam)  that  they  could  take  passage 
in  the  steamer  to  Old  Point  Comfort.  We  started  in 
her,  accordingly,  after  dark,  passing  close  to  the  Min- 
nesota, which  ship  was  at  work  extricating  herself  from 


292  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

her  awkward  position,  and  reached  the  wharf  at  Old 
Point  about  nine  o'clock  at  night. 

The  provost  guard  having  looked  us  over  (and  a  hard- 
looking  lot  we  were),  the  officers  went  to  the  Hygeia 
Hotel  (not  yet  entirely  turned  into  an  hospital),  and 
"  turned  in,"  thoroughly  exhausted. 

I  was  sleeping  soundly  when,  somewhere  about  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  I  was  awakened  by  a  great 
shouting  and  noise  of  wheels,  and  men  running.  There 
was  a  great  glare  of  fire  in  the  window,  and  as  I  was 
striving  to  collect  my  senses  and  to  think  where  I  was 
and  what  it  all  meant,  a  heavy  gun  went  off  close  by, 
shaking  the  frame  building, — the  shell,  with  a  now 
familiar  sound,  passing  just  over  the  roof,  and  going 
into  the  ditch  of  the  fort.  This  shell  was  closely  fol- 
lowed by  an  other, -and  then  two  more  were  fired  in 
another  direction.  I  thought,  of  course,  that  the  Mer- 
rimac  had  come  down  again  and  was  shelling  the  fort, 
and  so,  I  believe,  did  every  one  else,  at  first. 

By  this  time  I  had  reached  a  front  window,  and 
saw  that  a  large  ferry-boat,  the  Whitehall,  which  had 
been  converted  into  a  gunboat,  was  on  fire  at  her 
moorings,  inside  the  bar,  and  burning  fiercely.  The 
shell  had  come  from  her  guns,  which  had  gone  off 
when  heated.  The  burning  of  her  light  upper  works 
made  a  tremendous  blaze,  which  had  brought  out  all 
the  provost  guard,  with  the  fire-engines  of  the  garrison, 
while  the  "  long  roll"  was  beaten  inside  the  fortress, 
and  the  whole  garrison  turned  out  under  arms.  In  a 
very  short  time  the  boat  burnt  to  the  water's  edge,  and 
quiet  was  restored.  Next  morning  we  reported  to  the 
senior  naval  officer,  who  gave  each  of  us  written  per- 


THE  MERRIMAC  AND  MONITOR.  293 

mission  to  go  to  onr  homes,  and  thence  to  report  by 
letter  to  the  Navy  Department.  The  men  were  sent 
on  board  the  different  ships  in  the  Roads,  and,  eventu- 
ally, they  all  went  to  New  York. 

Armed  with  our  orders,  we  obtained  from  the  pro- 
vost-marshal passage  up  Chesapeake  Bay  by  the  daily 
steamer  to  Baltimore,  whence  we  scattered,  by  rail,  in 
all  directions.  I  went  to  New  Haven  and  had  some 
days  of  rest,  which  I  very  much  needed,  after  the 
fatigue  and  excitement  of  those  eventful  days. 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

I  AM  ORDERED   ON   DUTY  AGAIN. — CAPTURE  A 
BLOCKADE-RUNNER  AND  TAKE  HER  HOME. 

OF  course  I  had  to  provide  myself  with  an  entire 
new  outfit,  for  I  had  lost  everything ;  but  I  found  my- 
self much  better  than  I  had  ever  been  in  my  life,  for 
my  old  friend  had  disposed  of  the  cargo  of  rosin  and 
turpentine  which  I  had  stored-  at  a  price  which  was 
more  than  double  what  it  cost  me.  Having  to  visit 
New  York  upon  this  business,  I  took  the  opportunity 
to  order  a  handsome  tombstone  in  memory  of  poor  old 
Erie  Kemp,  "  Killed  in  battle,  March  8,  1862.  Faith- 
ful below,  he  did  his  duty, — but  now  he's  gone  aloft !" 

I  got  permission  to  erect  this  in  the  grave-yard  of 
the  Naval  Asylum,  at  Philadelphia,  where  many,  who 
knew  him  well  and  could  best  appreciate  his  good 
qualities,  would  themselves  be  laid. 

My  business  was  scarcely  completed,  when  I  received 
orders  to  the  Eagle,  at  Philadelphia,  as  her  executive 
officer.  She  was  a  purchased  steamer  of  considerable 
speed,  which  was  being  altered  into  a  man-of-war,  car- 
rying four  thirty-two-pounder  broadside  guns,  a  boat 
howitzer,  and  an  eighty-pounder  rifle  on  the  forecastle. 
She  was  of  about  eight  hundred  tons,  and  was  painted 
lead  color,  as  almost  all  of  our  men-of-war  were  by  this 
time, — a  "  wrinkle"  gained  from  the  blockade-runners. 
It  renders  a  vessel  almost  invisible  at  night,  or  in  thick 
weather,  and  is  very  durable,  and  of  course  economical. 
294 


I  AM  ORDERED   ON  DUTY  AGAIN.          295 

By  this  time  a  very  large  force  of  vessels  was  em- 
ployed in  the  navy,  and  the  volunteer  officers  far  ex- 
ceeded in  number  the  regulars. 

We  had  in  the  Eagle  a  lieutenant  in  command,  who 
was  a  young  man  of  considerable  ambition  and  dash, 
but  with  no  very  great  experience  at  sea.  Before  the 
war  ended,  however,  he  "  won  his  spurs,"  and  turned 
out  a  careful  and  excellent  officer. 

I  was  first  lieutenant,  as  I  have  said,  and  there  were 
three  other  acting  masters,  a  paymaster  and  surgeon, 
and  three  engineers, — all  acting  officers, — none  of  them 
having  seen  any  naval  service  but  myself. 

My  time  was  now  occupied  in  making  out  station- 
bills,  seeing  that  the  outfit  and  stores  came  on  board, 
and  in  breaking  in  the  officers  as  well  as  the  crew  to 
something  like  naval  discipline.  The  commanding 
officer,  finding  that  I  understood  naval  routine  pretty 
well,  did  not  trouble  himself  much  about  the  ship ;  and 
indeed  I  could  not  greatly  blame  him,  for  he  was  a 
newly-married  man,  and  we  were  bound  to  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico  for  a  long  cruise,  in  a  sickly  climate, 
besides  the  risks  of  war. 

At  length  we  were  reported  ready,  and  received  or- 
ders to  proceed  South,  and  report  to  the  commanding 
officer  at  Key  West.  Leaving  Philadelphia  at  day- 
light, and  just  before  high  water,  we  discharged  our 
pilot  and  left  the  Capes  of  the  Delaware  at  a  little 
after  meridian,  much  pleased  to  find  that  our  ship 
preserved,  under  her  battery  and  man-of-war  fittings, 
the  speed  which  she  had  always  shown  while  in  the 
merchant  service. 

It  was  splendid  June  weather,  and  we  ran  south 


296  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

rapidly,  speaking  one  or  two  of  the  off-shore  block- 
aders  about  Cape  Fear.  One  afternoon,  when  about 
in  the  latitude  of  Winyaw  Bay,  we  had  a  series  of 
squalls  with  heavy  rain.  In  the  interval  between  two 
of  them  we  suddenly  made  out  a  long,  low  steamer, 
with  huge  paddle-wheels,  heading  right  across  our 
bows,  and  in  towards  the  land.  She  had  a  turtle-back 
deck  forward  to  turn  off  the  spray  and  sea,  two  smoke- 
stacks, and  two  short,  stumpy,  raking  masts,  with  the 
gaffs  lowered.  The  black  smoke  from  English  coal 
was  pouring  out  from  her  funnels,  and  there  was  no 
doubt  she  was  a  blockade-runner,  making  for  Winyaw, 
or  Bull's  Bay.  Such  gentry  have  sharp  eyes,  and  she 
made  us  out  at  the  same  moment  we  saw  her.  At  first 
it  appeared  as  if  she  intended  to  try  to  cross  our  bows 
and  run  for  the  land,  and  a  greater  volume  of  black 
smoke  poured  from  her  funnels  as  she  "fired  up," 
but  a  carefully-sighted  shot  from  our  eighty-pounder, 
which  nearly  reached  her,  seemed  to  alter  the  mind  of 
her  captain. 

Putting  his  helm  hard  a  starboard,  he  ran  away  to 
the  eastward,  evidently  intending  to  trust  to  his  heels. 
But  he  did  not  know  what  the  Eagle  could  do,  nor  did 
we  either,  for  that  matter,  until  we  tried  her,  and  here 
was  a  splendid  chance. 

The  stranger  was  very  deep  in  the  water,  and  by 
sunset  it  was  evident  that  we  were  holding  our  own 
with  him.  Though  too  far  off  to  render  our  aim  at 
all  certain,  we  gave  him  an  occasional  shot  from  our 
rifled  gun,  and  the  last  thing  we  saw  as  the  sun  set  he 
was  heaving  overboard  some  of  his  cargo. 

The  night  promised  to  be  squally  though  not  dark, 


CAPTURE  A   BLOCKADE-RUNNER.  297 

and  we  soon  got  out  on  the  edge  of  the  Gulf  Stream, 
where  the  sea  was  very  rough,  and  the  water  and  spray 
flew  on  board  in  sheets  as  we  tore  along  through  it,  the 
salt  soon  making  our  smoke-stack  look  as  if  it  had  been 
whitewashed. 

The  chief  engineer  was  groaning  about  the  strain  on 
his  engine,  but  was  ordered  to  make  all  the  speed  he 
could,  with  the  observation  that  if  the  chase  could  stand 
it  we  could,  and  that  there  was  plenty  of  prize-money 
ahead.  The  latter  consideration  seemed  to  soothe  his 
feelings,  and  he  disappeared  below  to  see  that  his  be- 
loved bearings  had  their  due  share  of  oil,  while  his 
grimy  and  perspiring  firemen  had  their  labors  light- 
ened by  an  extra  "  tot"  of  grog. 

On  deck  we  kept  the  sharpest  lookout  with  our 
glasses,  for  fear  the  chase  would  alter  her  course,  or 
dodge  us  in  some  way.  But  she  seemed  inclined  to 
trust  to  running,  and  was  evidently  still  heaving  cargo 
overboard,  for  we  observed  more  than  one  large  box  or 
bale  as  we  followed  in  her  wake.  The  wind  now  came 
out  fair,  and  we  made  sail,  every  one  being  on  deck 
and  working  with  a  will,  for  all  were  too  excited  to 
sleep,  even  if  it  had  not  been  "  all  hands/'  In  addi- 
tion to  the  love  of  chasing  anything,  common  to  all 
mankind,  Jack  peculiarly  enjoys  a  chase  with  a  pros- 
pect of  prize-money  at  the  end  of  it.  We  had  been 
more  than  seven  hours  at  the  top  of  our  speed,  the  ship 
working  and  complaining  as  she  was  forced  through 
the  rough  water,  but  everything  holding  on  splendidly, 
when  all  at  once  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  the  chase  had 
"slowed  down,"  so  rapidly  did  we  commence  to  gain 
upon  her.  In  a  few  minutes  more  our  rifle-shot  were 


298  THIRTY  TEARS  AT  SEA. 

ranging  over  her,  and  at  least  one  struck  her,  upon 
which  she  waved  a  lantern  over  her  quarter  in  token 
of  surrender. 

The  moon  had  risen  just  before  this,  which  enabled 
us  to  see  that  she  had  stopped  her  engine,  while  the 
steam  roared  from  her  raised  safety-valve. 

As  I  have  mentioned,  there  was  quite  a  heavy  and 
confused  sea,  which  caused  considerable  difficulty  in 
lowering  and  manning  a  boat,  of  which  I  was  ordered 
to  take  charge  and  board  the  strange  vessel. 

When  I  got  alongside,  I  hauled  up  to  leeward  of  her, 
and  watching  a  chance,  made  a  spring  and  caught  her 
low  rail.  As  I  jumped  down  on  the  deck,  I  did  not 
see  a  soul  except  the  man  at  the  wheel.  Heaving  the 
end  of  a  boat's  falls  into  our  boat  for  a  painter,  I  or- 
dered six  of  the  crew,  armed  with  cutlass  and  pistol, 
to  come  out.  An  assistant  engineer,  who  had  volun- 
teered to  come  with  me,  at  once  made  for  the  engine- 
room  hatch,  and  looking  down,  called  to  me  to  come 
there,  when  we  saw  three  or  four  men  below  at  work 
at  some  of  the  valve-gear,  evidently  disabling  the  ma- 
chinery. 

I  sung  out  to  them  to  drop  that  and  come  on  deck  at 
once,  or  I  should  fire  at  them.  They  seemed  startled  at 
hearing  my  voice,  not  thinking  apparently  that  we  had 
had  time  to  board  them,  and  they  dropped  the  lantern 
by  which  they  were  working,  and  came  up  the  ladder. 

Asking  the  first  man  who  he  was,  he  said  he  was  the 
captain  of  the  steamer,  which  was  the  Nighthawk,  of 
Nassau,  and  that  the  others  were  the  engineers.  I  im- 
mediately directed  our  engineer  to  go  below,  with  one 
man,  and  see  the  condition  of  the  machinery  and  of 


CAPTURE  A   BLOCKADE-RUNNER.  299 

the  water  in  the  boilers,  while  I  hailed  the  Eagle  for 
another  boat,  with  firemen. 

Placing  a  man  on  guard  at  each  gangway,  I  then, 
with  the  other  two,  followed  the  captain  and  engineers 
of  the  steamer  into  the  deck-cabin,  from  which  a  bright 
light  shone.  Here  I  found  the  mates  and  three  young 
men,  evidently  passengers,  sitting  at  the  table,  appar- 
ently very  drunk.  The  table,  over  which  hung  a  lamp, 
was  covered  with  bottles  of  champagne,  while  the  deck, 
covered  by  an  oil-cloth,  was  a  complete  litter  of  torn 
papers  and  small  packages.  The  occupants  were  shout- 
ing and  singing  in  a  maudlin  sort  of  way,  while  the 
motion  of  the  narrow  vessel,  unsteadied  by  sail  or 
steam,  was  fast  smashing  the  bottles  and  crockery, 
the  fragments  making  the  place  dangerous  to  walk 
about  in. 

These  worthies  hailed  us  with  uproarious  shouts  and 
invitations  to  drink,  with  some  tipsy  comments  on  the 
fortunes  of  war.  The  skipper,  as  well  as  the  Scotch 
engineers,  seemed  to  be  very  much  ashamed  of  them. 
As  the  other  boat  had  arrived  by  this  time,  I  ordered 
some  of  our  men  to  place  them  in  the  pantry,  and  lock 
the  door,  while  I  sent  the  captain  and  engineers  on  deck 
under  charge  of  a  sentry,  immediately  setting  a  man  to 
look  for  log-books  and  papers. 

Taking  half  a  dozen  of  our  men,  I  now  moved  for- 
ward, and  found  the  crew  of  the  prize,  numbering  about 
twelve  or  fifteen,  busy  packing  their  kits  and  making 
preparations  to  leave.  Some  of  them  were  drunk,  but 
quiet  and  not  inclined  to  make  mischief;  so,  leaving 
two  men  on  post  over  the  hatch,  I  proceeded  to  make  a 
careful  inspection  of  the  vessel. 


300  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

Upon  getting  more  lanterns,  I  saw  that  one  of  our 
rifle-shots  had  carried  away  a  part  of  the  bridge  and 
gone  through  the  forward  funnel,  doing  no  serious  dam- 
age. The  wheel-houses  and  guards  were  almost  entirely 
knocked  away,  not  by  shot,  but  by  the  heavy  sea  into 
which  they  had  been  forcing  her,  and  her  "slowing 
down"  was  explained  by  the  fact  that  almost  every 
bucket  was  gone  from  the  wheels,  hammered  out  by 
the  heavy  sea.  She  was  very  sharp  and  had  great 
power,  and  I  think  we  should  not  have  caught  her  if 
she  had  had  a  smooth  sea. 

The  engineers  now  reported  the  engines  all  right,  and 
that  she  had  plenty  of  coal  in  her  bunkers,  enough  to 
take  her  from  Nassau  to  our  coast  and  back  again. 

Her  cargo  was  a  most  valuable  one,  comprising  among 
other  things  two  complete  batteries  of  field  artillery 
and  three  thousand  stand  of  arms,  which  were  stowed 
in  the  bottom  of  the  hold.  She  had  also  an  immense 
quantity  of  uniform  clothing,  boots,  shoes,  saddlery, 
medicines,  liquors,  and  percussion-caps. 

I  must  say  her  captain  and  engineers  behaved  re- 
markably well  after  we  once  took  possession,  making  no 
unnecessary  remarks,  but  answering  all  our  questions 
in  a  satisfactory  manner.  They  were  all  Englishmen, 
and  knew  that  they  would  receive  no  other  punishment 
than  a  short  imprisonment,  and  they  did  not  feel  the 
loss  of  the  vessel  so  much,  as  they  had  already  made 
three  successful  trips  in  her,  and  had  made  a  great  deal 
of  money. 

By  this  time  the  mates  and  passengers  who  had 
been  locked  up  in  the  pantry,  after  some  maudlin  songs 
and  yells,  had  commenced  fighting  among  themselves, 


CAPTURE  A    BLOCKADE-RUNNER.  3Q1 

so  we  were  obliged  to  open  the  door,  and  put  them  in 
double  irons,  with  a  threat  of  gagging  them  if  they  did 
not  keep  quiet,  which  threat  I  was  obliged  to  carry  out 
in  the  case  of  one  of  the  mates. 

The  search  of  the  cabin  and  state-rooms  disclosed 
important  mails,  which  had  been  forgotten,  although 
the  log  and  the  invoices  of  the  cargo  had  been  de- 
stroyed. The  captain  told  us,  however,  that  the  most 
of  the  packages  which  had  been  hove  overboard  during 
the  chase  contained  shoes  and  harness,  as  they  could 
not  get  at  the  heavier  part  of  the  cargo. 

By  this  time  it  was  daybreak,  and  our  commanding 
officer  came  on  board.  After  some  consultation  we  de- 
cided that  we  should  take  the  Nighthawk  in  tow  and 
make  for  Hampton  Roads,  as  her  damaged  paddle- 
wheels  would  prevent  her  from  getting  there  in  any 
reasonable  time  tinder  her  own  steam,  even  should  we 
have  fine  weather.  The  prisoners  were,  therefore,  all 
sent  on  board  the  Eagle,  and  I  was  left  in  charge  of 
the  prize,  with  about  a  dozen  men. 

On  arriving  at  Hampton  Roads  we  got  carpenters 
from  the  flag-ship  there,  who  put  in  temporary  buckets, 
so  that  I  could  go  on  to  Baltimore  and  deliver  her 
into  the  hands  of  the  prize  commissioner  at  that  place. 
The  Eagle  sailed  for  Key  West  at  the  same  time  I  left 
for  Baltimore. 

I  was  detained  some  weeks  by  the  necessary  formal- 
ities attending  the  condemnation  of  the  Nighthawk. 
She  was  one  of  the  best  prizes  made  during  the  war, 
and  my  share  of  prize-money  afterwards  amounted  to 
between  six  and  seven  thousand  dollars. 

Having  settled  the  business  as  far  as  I  was  concerned, 
20 


302  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

I  was  ordered,  with  my  prize-crew,  to  take  passage  in 
the  supply  steamer  to  Key  West,  and  rejoin  our  vessel. 

These  supply  steamers  ran  regularly  down  the  coast, 
and  round  into  the  Gulf,  stopping  at  the  different 
naval  stations  and  depots,  as  well  as  supplying  the 
vessels  on  the  blockade  with  ice,  fresh  provisions,  vege- 
tables, canned  fruits,  and  various  sutler's  stores.  They 
also  carried  the  mails,  and  officers  and  men  for  the 
various  vessels,  and  brought  back  the  sick. 

This  time,  too,  they  were  to  bring  back  all  the 
whiskey  in  the  spirit-rooms  of  the  different  men-of-war, 
except  that  kept  as  a  part  of  the  medical  stores ;  Con- 
gress having  abolished  the  spirit  ration  in  the  navy, — 
to  take  effect  immediately. 

This  action  created  a  good  deal  of  discontent,  es- 
pecially among  the  old  seamen,  or  "  shell-backs"  ;  but 
I  believe,  upon  the  whole,  that  it  has  been  productive 
of  good. 

To  give  an  idea  of  the  many  verses,  and  jeux  d'esprit, 
which  the  stoppage  of  grog  called  forth,  I  here  give  one 
of  the  best  of  those  in  circulation  at  the  time : 

"FAREWELL  TO  GROG." 

(  Wardroom  of  the  U.  S.  S. .     Time,  August  31,  1862. 

Officer  sings,  as  he  sits  at  table.) 

"  Oh,  messmates,  pass  the  bottle  round, 

Our  time  is  short,  remember ; 
For  our  grog  must  stop,  and  our  spirits  drop, 
On  the  first  day  of  September ! 

"  Farewell,  Old  Eye,  'tis  a  sad,  sad  word, 

But,  alas !  it  must  be  spoken, — 
The  '  ruby  cup'  must  be  given  up, 
And  the  demijohn  be  broken  I 


CAPTURE  A  BLOCKADE-RUNNER.  3Q3 

"  Yet  memory  oft  will  backward  turn, 

And  dwell  with  fondness  partial, 
On  the  days  when  gin  was  not  a  sin, 
Nor  cocktails  brought  court-martial. 

"  Jack's  happy  days  will  soon  be  past, 

To  return  again?     Oh,  never  ! 
For  they've  raised  his  pay  five  cents  a  day, 
And  stopped  his  grog  forever." 

(The  boatswain's  mate  pipes,  "All  hands  splice  main-brace  I") 

"  All  hands  to  splice  the  main-brace  call, 

But  splice  it  now  in  sorrow, 
For  the  spirit-room  key  will  be  laid  away, 
Forever,  on  to-morrow." 

It  is  seldom  a  pleasant  thing  to  be  a  passenger  in  a 
man-of-war,  where  one  is  generally  looked  upon  as  an 
incmnbrance, "  in  every  one's  mess  and  nobody's  watch," 
so  I  was  very  glad  when  we  sighted  the  light-house, 
and  Fort  Taylor,  and  were  soon  at  anchor  in  Key  West. 
We  were  immediately  surrounded  by  man-of-war  boats, 
and  thronged  with  officers  hungry  for  food  for  both 
mind  and  body,  in  the  shape  of  fresh  beef  and  news- 
papers. 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 
A  "CUTTING  OUT"  PARTY. 

THE  "  conchs,"  as  the  natives  of  Key  West  are  called, 
are  not  a  very  interesting  race,  besides  which  there  was  a 
good  deal  of  yellow  fever  there  at  that  time,  and  I  was 
rejoiced  to  see  the  Eagle  come  steaming  in  soon  after  my 
arrival.  They  were  very  glad  to  see  us,  too,  for  the  prize- 
crew  which  I  had  taken  had  made  them  somewhat  short- 
handed,  and  men  were  not  very  plenty  in  that  squadron. 

The  Eagle  had  been  blockading  about  St.  Mark's 
and  Apalachicola,  and  had  come  down  for  stores  and 
some  repairs.  These  were  soon  effected,  and  we  sailed 
for  the  coast  of  Florida  again,  with  orders  to  relieve  a 
sailing-vessel,  which  had  been  stationed  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Cedar  Keys. 

A  good  deal  of  blockade-running  had  been  done  from 
this  part  of  the  coast  by  small  sloops  and  schooners, 
which  would  lie  far  up  the  creeks  and  bayous,  loaded 
with  cotton  or  turpentine;  and  then,  watching  their 
chance,  slip  out,  and  very  often  got  safely  over  to 
Havana. 

The  first  thing  we  heard  from  the  barque  we  relieved 
was  that  a  refugee  had  reported  a  small  paddle-wheel 
steamer  lying  about  six  or  seven  miles  up  one  of  the 
rivers,  loaded  with  cotton,  and  waiting  a  chance  to  Kun 
out. 

The  same  man  had  also  indicated  the  position  of  quite 
304 


A  «  CUTTIXQ-OUT"  PARTY.  3Q5 

extensive  salt-works  about  thirty  miles  higher  up  the 
coast,  where  they  were  boiling,  day  and  night,  and 
making  nearly  two  hundred  bushels  of  this  necessary 
article  every  twenty-four  hours. 

We  determined  to  look  after  the  steamer  first,  and 
then  to  pay  attention  to  the  salt-works,  and  for  this 
purpose  we  devoted  the  day  to  a  careful  preparation  of 
our  boats. 

One  of  the  remarkable  things  about  this  wonderful 
and  interesting  west  coast  of  Florida  is,  that  there  is 
only  one  ebb  and  one  flow  of  tide  in  the  twenty-four 
hours,  and  on  the  night  of  our  intended  expedition 
the  flood  would  not  serve  us  until  after  midnight. 

In  the  mean  time,  to  lull  suspicion  of  any  boat  ex- 
pedition in  case  we  were  watched  from  the  keys,  we 
sent  the  smaller  boats  to  fish,  and  kept  a  few  men 
aloft,  pretending  to  work  at  overhauling  the  rigging; 
but  the  greater  number  were  busy  as  bees  inboard. 

Our  boats  returned  at  dinner-time  with  more  fish 
than  we  could  use,  for  this  is  a  paradise  for  fishermen. 
Sheep's-head,  red-fish,  sea-trout  and  grouper,  pompano, 
cavalli,  mullet,  and  hog-fish,  besides  many  other  kinds, 
filled  the  bottom  of  the  boats  with  their  beautiful  and 
varied  colors.  A  splendid  drum-fish  occupied  the  place 
of  honor  in  the  stern-sheets  of  the  dingey,  which  boat 
had  also  visited  an  isolated  key  beyond  gun-shot  of 
any  over-watchful  "  home-guard,"  and  brought  quan- 
tities of  fine  oysters. 

We  had  two  or  three  large  turtle  already  on  board, 
but  a  week  or  two  at  Key  West  causes  turtle-soup  and 
turtle-steak  to  pall,  and  our  people  much  preferred 
the  fish.  Having  got  our  launch  and  first  cutter  all 

17* 


306  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

ready,  the  crews  told  off,  oars  muffled,  and  arms 
and  ammunition  supplied,  we  got  under  way  just 
before  sunset,  and  stood  slowly  down  the  coast,  as  if 
shifting  station  for  the  night.  But  as  soon  as  darkness 
came  on  we  retraced  our  course  under  low  steam  and 
with  all  lights  concealed,  until  we  took  up  our  anchor- 
age of  the  morning.  We  were  about  two  miles  from 
the  mainland ;  but,  as  it  was  now  very  calm  and  still, 
we  used  all  precaution  to  prevent  noise  as  we  lowered 
and  manned  our  boats,  putting  the  howitzer  in  the 
launch.  Finally  all  was  ready,  and  the  time  having 
arrived,  I  shoved  off  with  twenty-two  men  and  officers, 
some  of  whom  were  engineers  and  firemen.  The  tide 
was  making,  and  we  pulled  cautiously  in,  grounding 
lightly  two  or  three  times  from  getting  out  of  the 
channel,  but  the  rising  water  soon  took  us  off  again. 

When  we  got  across  the  bar  and  inside  the  keys,  we 
could  make  out  the  gap  in  the  dense  foliage,  caused  by 
the  creek,  or  rather  river,  which  we  were  in  search  of. 
Entering  this,  we  pulled  steadily  but  quietly  for  nearly 
an  hour,  when  I  thought  we  must  be  near  the  spot 
where  we  should  find  the  steamer. 

I  now  ordered  the  men  to  lie  on  their  oars,  and 
allowed  the  boats  to  drift  quietly  up  with  the  tide. 
The  river  was  narrow  but  deep,  and  in  some  places  the 
huge  trees  seemed  almost  to  meet  over  the  water,  the 
darkness  in  such  places  being  intense,  and  our  only 
guide  the  sky-line  above,  which  looked  quite  bright  in 
comparison. 

Occasionally  an  alligator  would  bellow  or  slide  off 
the  bank  into  the  water,  startling  us  at  first  and  causing 
locks  to  be  cocked,  until  we  found  out  what  it  was. 


A  "CUTTING-OUT"  PARTY.  3Q7 

Great  horned-owls  laughed  and  hooted  as  they  sailed 
up  the  river  in  advance  of  us,  while  night-herons  took 
flight  from  the  shallows  at  the  bends  as  we  disturbed 
them,  the  flapping  of  their  huge  wings  causing  a  strange, 
low,  mysterious  echo  from  the  banks.  Occasionally 
the  howl  of  a  wolf  would  be  heard  far  away,  answered 
nearer  by  the  shriek  and  wail  of  a  panther  or  wild-cat. 
Birds  of  various  kinds,  which  were  roosting  in  the 
trees,  aware  that  something  strange  was  passing,  chat- 
tered and  moved  upon  their  perches,  rustling  the 
leaves,  as  though  a  breeze  was  stirring.  Altogether  it 
was  as  "  spooky"  a  time  as  I  ever  passed. 

At  last  the  river  widened  again,  and  we  saw  the  dim 
outline  of  the  steamer  we  were  in  search  of. 

She  was  lying  at  a  little  wharf,  around  which  was  a 
clearing  of  a  few  acres.  A  small  barn,  or  store-house, 
stood  close  to  the  wharf,  and  we  could  see  the  sky 
through  a  break  in  the  woods,  caused  by  the  clearing 
for  a  road,  which  came  in  from  the  east. 

We  had  been  told  that  there  were  thirteen  people  on 
board  the  steamer,  several  of  whom  were  negroes ;  but 
that  a  company  of  "  home-guards"  were  at  a  little  set- 
tlement about  a  mile  off,  some  of  whom  were  apt  to  be 
at  the  landing  at  night.  I  felt  pretty  confident,  how- 
ever, that  I  could  manage  the  surprise  with  the  force  I 
had,  even  if  the  militia  were  there. 

Finding  that  our  approach  was  unobserved  by  any 
sentry,  I  kept  the  boats  under  the  bank,  holding  on 
by  the  mangrove-bushes,  and  then  enjoining  absolute 
silence,  allowed  the  men  to  get  something  to  eat,  and 
look  to  their  arms. 

Just  as  daylight  was  beginning  to  make  things  visi- 


308  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

ble  I  gave  the  order,  and  we  made  a  dash  for  the  ves- 
sel, boarding  her  on  each  bow,  as  she  lay  with  her  head 
down-stream. 

Just  before  we  reached  her  a  man  came  out  of  the 
store-house  in  his  shirt-sleeves  and  without  a  hat,  ap- 
parently just  awaking  from  his  night's  sleep.  Seeing 
us,  he  gave  a  tremendous  yell  to  alarm  those  on  board 
the  vessel,  and  then  broke  for  the  woods  with  most 
surprising  speed. 

Tumbling  on  board,  some  of  the  men,  according  to 
instructions,  closed  and  secured  the  forecastle-hatch, 
just  in  time  to  prevent  the  hands  from  coming  up, 
some  of  them  being  actually  on  the  ladder.  At  the 
same  moment  four  or  five  men  came  out  of  the  deck- 
cabin  and  commenced  firing  at  us  along  the  gangways 
left  by  piling  the  cotton-bales  on  deck. 

I  felt  my  forehead  grazed  by  a  ball,  which  cut  the 
skin  and  caused  the  blood  to  flow  into  my  eyes  so  pro- 
fusely that  I  was  blinded  by  it  for  a  few  minutes.  I 
got  out  my  handkerchief,  and,  binding  up  the  wound, 
was  soon  able  to  see  the  state  of  affairs.  I  found  that 
we  had  possession  of  the  vessel.  One  of  our  oppo- 
nents, a  man  with  a  long  black  beard,  had  been  shot 
dead,  upon  which  the  four  others  leaped  over  the  rail 
and  on  to  the  wharf,  whence  they  ran  for  the  woods,  at 
least  two  of  them  being  badly  wounded.  Two  of  our 
men  were  hurt  by  buckshot,  but  no  one  was  killed  on 
our  side. 

I  knew  very  well  that  there  was  no  time  to  lose,  not 
only  on  account  of  the  tide,  but  because  the  militia  at 
the  settlement  would  soon  be  down  upon  us,  being 
roused  by  the  man  who  had  first  discovered  us,  and  who 


A   "CUTTING-OUT"  PARTY.  3Q9 

had  gone  off  like  a  deer.  I  therefore  ordered  the  dead 
man  to  be  laid  on  the  wharf,  and  the  howitzer  and  slide 
to  be  got  out  of  the  launch  and  mounted  on  the  hurri- 
cane-deck of  the  prize. 

The  engineers  and  firemen  were  directed  at  once  to 
look  to  getting  steam  on  the  vessel,  and  I  ordered  the 
fasts  to  be  cast  off  and  the  boats  to  go  ahead  and  tow. 
We  had  allowed  the  prisoners  to  come  up  from  the  fore- 
castle one  by  one,  and  found  that  they  were  all  negroes, 
firemen  and  deck-hands,  much  frightened,  but  docile 
enough.  I  set  them  at  work,  telling  them  they  would 
be  free  as  soon  as  we  got  out  of  the  river.  They  told 
us  that  the  man  with  the  long  beard  who  was  killed 
was  the  captain,  and  that  the  white  men  who  had  es- 
caped were  the  mate  and  engineers. 

The  boilers  were  found  all  pumped  up,  and  the  fur- 
naces crammed  full  of  pine-wood  all  ready  to  light,  so 
there  was  every  probability  of  having  steam  within  an 
hour.  As  I  found  the  tide  was  still  flood,  and  that  the 
boats  could  do  little  in  the  way  of  towing,  while  the 
crews  were  much  exposed,  I  called  them  alongside,  and 
secured  them  well  under  the  guards,  dropping  the 
anchor  which  was  ready  at  the  bows. 

Of  course  I  was  very  anxious,  and  kept  a  bright 
lookout  for  any  signs  of  the  militia.  We  hastily  ar- 
ranged some  cotton-bales  about  the  pilot-house,  leaving 
chinks  to  see  out  of,  and  placed  others  along  the  guards 
to  make  bulwarks  for  our  small-arm  men. 

This  was  all  arranged,  and  the  men  stationed  under 
cover,  when  1  heard  sounds  of  axes,  chopping  at  trees 
below  us,  at  the  narrow  part  of  the  river. 

I  knew  at  once  what  this  meant.     Our  friends  were 


310  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

felling  trees  to  obstruct  the  narrow  passage,  and  if  they 
succeeded  in  doing  this,  our  capture  or  death  was  only 
a  question  of  time.  Meantime,  we  could  not  see  a  soul 
on  shore,  and  could  hear  nothing  but  the  sound  of  the 
axes. 

The  next  few  minutes  seemed  to  me  very  long,  but 
in  a  little  time  the  steam  began  to  blow  from  the  escape- 
pipe,  and  I  have  never  heard  a  more  welcome  sound. 
The  engineer  now  reported  that  he  would  turn  his 
wheels  and  then  be  ready  to  go  ahead,  but  I  restrained 
my  impatience  for  a  few  moments  longer  until  the  steam 
had  reached  a  good  head,  and  then  gave  the  order  to 
slip  the  chain,  and  for  every  one  to  shelter  himself. 

I  went  into  the  pilot-house  with  two  good  men,  and 
away  we  went  down-stream.  As  we  came  in  sight  of 
the  narrow  part,  I  saw  that  one  tall  cottonwood  was 
already  down  on  the  left  bank,  its  branches  reaching 
much  more  than  half-way  across  the  narrow  stream, 
while  two  stout  fellows  were  slashing  away  at  another 
on  the  opposite  side,  which  appeared  already  tottering 
to  its  fall.  If  it  did  fall  before  we  passed,  there  was  a 
slim  chance  for  us. 

Seizing  the  pull,  I  rang  four  bells,  "go  ahead  strong!" 
and  then  waited  breathless  with  suspense. 

As  we  got  nearer,  I  hailed  our  men  to  fire  at  the 
choppers,  which  they  did,  causing  one  of  them  to  throw 
up  his  hands  and  fall,  while  the  other  dodged  behind 
another  tree.  Our  fire  was  answered  by  a  regular  vol- 
ley, every  tree  seeming  to  conceal  a  rifleman,  but,  thanks 
to  our  cotton-bales,  no  one  was  hurt,  though  there  were 
a  number  of  narrow  escapes.  One  ball  came  through 
a  chink  into  the  pilot-house,  and  buried  itself  in  the 


'TRAINING  THE   HOWITZER   UPON   THEM,  i   FIRED   INTO  THE   MIDST 

OF   THE   GROUP."  Page  311. 


A  "CUTTING-OUT"  PARTY.  3H 

barrel  of  the  wheel,  and  barely  missed  stranding  the 
tiller-rope,  on  which  so  much  depended.  On  we  went, 
foaming  down  the  river  at  full  speed,  keeping  well  to 
the  right  bank,  and  in  a  moment  the  light-draft  steamer 
had  passed  over  the  bush  of  the  tree,  depressing  it  suf- 
ficiently to  escape  much  damage  to  the  buckets  of  her 
wheels.  We  had  hardly  got  by  when  the  swaying  tree 
fell,  amid  the  yells  and  curses  of  our  disappointed  op- 
ponents, who  now  came  out  from  cover  and  began  to 
pepper  away  at  us  as  fast  as  they  could  load.  As  soon 
as  we  were  somewhat  out  of  reach  of  their  small  arms 
I  left  the  pilot-house,  and,  training  the  howitzer  upon 
them,  fired  into  the  midst  of  the  group  with  shrapnel. 
This  caused  great  commotion  and  scattering,  but  I  could 
not  tell  how  much  damage,  for  we  now  turned  a  bend 
in  the  stream,  and,  as  we  had  more  narrow  places  to 
pass,  I  did  not  think  it  prudent  to  delay. 

We  had  no  more  interruptions,  however,  and  within 
an  hour  were  at  the  mouth  of  the  river.  Bringing  one 
of  the  negro  deck-hands  up,  I  made  him  pilot  us  over 
the  bar,  and  we  soon  ran  out  to  our  ship,  when  I  re- 
ported the  steamer  Suwanee  prize  to  the  United  States 
steanier  Eagle. 

Our  wounded  men  were  at  once  put  in  the  surgeon's 
hands,  and  I  am  happy  to  say  did  very  well.  My  own 
wound  was  comparatively  a  mere  scratch,  but  I  shall 
always  bear  an  ugly  scar  upon  my  forehead. 

It  now  became  necessary  to  send  our  prize  to  Key 
West,  and  our  commander  wished  me  to  go  in  charge 
of  her.  But  I  feared  detention  there  on  account  of  legal 
formalities,  and  begged  off,  the  next  officer  to  me  taking 
charge  of  her,  with  a  few  of  our  men,  and  the  black 


312  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

firemen  and  deck-bands  whom  we  had  captured  in 
her. 

As  it  turned  out,  it  would  have  been  better  for  me 
if  I  had  risked  all  the  disagreeabilities  of  a  detention 
at  Key  West,  yellow  fever,  mosquitoes,  eternal  turtle- 
steaks,  and  all,  but  I  could  not  foresee  what  was  soon  to 
happen  to  me,  through  my  own  imprudence. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

I  AM  TAKEN  PRISONER. — ABOUT  THE  WORST  SCRAPE 
OF   MY   LIFE. 

As  soon  as  we  got  the  Suwanee  off  for  Key  West, 
we  turned  our  attention  to  the  salt-works,  which  it  was 
most  important  to  break  up.  Of  course  they  had  to 
be  situated  on  the  very  shores  of  the  Gulf,  away  from 
any  stream  which  discharged  fresh  water,  so  that  the 
water  used  would  be  most  saturated  with  salt.  Being 
thus  exposed  to  attack,  quite  a  camp  of  men  generally 
occupied  these  points,  including  wood-choppers,  men  to 
fill  the  boilers  and  keep  the  fires  going,  coopers  to  bar- 
rel up  the  salt,  and  finally  soldiers,  who  were  generally 
local  militia,  to  protect  the  establishment.  Sometimes 
as  many  as  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  were  thus  gath- 
ered, and  it  required  cautious  measures  for  a  boat- 
party  to  attack  them  successfully.  They  had  generally 
quite  a  little  town  of  store-houses  and  shanties,  and 
sometimes  a  breastwork  of  palmetto  logs  and  sand  for 
their  defence. 

Moving  up  the  coast  during  the  night,  we  came  to, 
about  daylight,  off  the  point  where  the  works  were 
which  we  had  been  ordered  to  destroy.  The  keys  and 
sand-banks  were  so  numerous  that  we  could  not  bring 
the  ship  very  near  the  place,  but  we  could  see  the 
smoke  from  their  fires,  which  were  fed  with  pine,  and 
from  aloft  could  see  with  the  glass  that  many  people 
were  moving  about. 

o  27  313 


314  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

By  ten  o'clock  our  preparations  were  all  made,  and 
we  pulled  in  in  three  boats, — the  howitzer  in  the 
launch, — and,  after  great  trouble  among  the  shallows 
and  sand-banks,  came  within  gun-shot  of  the  works  at 
about  noon,  having  had  an  awfully  hot  pull  of  it.  Not 
a  soul  was  to  be  seen  on  shore,  and  if  it  had  not  been 
for  the  smoke  curling  up  from  under  the  boilers,  I  must 
say  I  should  have  thought  the  place  deserted. 

As  we  approached  the  beach,  however,  well-aimed 
shots  began  to  fly  about  us,  one  of  them  disabling 
the  master's  mate  of  the  launch  as  he  was  pointing 
the  howitzer  at  a  spot  in  the  bush  where  the  puffs  of 
smoke  seemed  the  thickest. 

This  would  not  do,  of  course ;  so  I  hauled  off  again, 
and  commenced  a  regular  shelling  of  the  place,  soon 
driving  the  salt-makers  from  their  covers,  and  sending 
them  scampering  into  the  woods. 

We  now  landed  with  caution,  for  fear  of  some  am- 
buscade, throwing  out  skirmishers  and  pickets  in  all 
directions ;  while  our  launch,  with  her  howitzer,  lay 
afloat  and  ready  for  action.  The  buildings  were  now 
set  on  fire,  and  the  furnaces,  of  brick  and  coquina, 
knocked  to  pieces.  The  boilers  and  pans,  which  were 
the  most  important  things,  and  the  most  difficult  to 
replace,  were  thoroughly  destroyed.  Some  of  these 
were  of  cast-  and  some  of  wrought-iron,  often  curiously 
and  ingeniously  adapted  from  some  other  use.  Some 
were  so  massive  as  to  require  shot  from  our  howitzer 
to  render  them  unfit  for  service. 

It  was  not  far  from  sunset  when  all  this  was  accom- 
plished, and  as  I  was  very  anxious  to  get  off  before 
dark,  I  called  in  the  pickets  and  hurried  the  men  into 


I  AM  TAKEN  PRISONER.  315 

the  boats.  I  found  that  some  of  the  men  were  a  little 
the  worse  for  "red-eye"  whiskey,  a  jug  or  two  of  which 
they  had  discovered  somewhere  about  the  shanties  and 
rescued  from  the  flames.  "  Jack"  will  find  whiskey  if 
any  exists  in  a  place,  having  that  unfailing  nose  for 
spirits  which  a  pig  has  for  truffles  or  a  ferret  for  rats. 

The  pickets  reported  that  they  had  seen  nothing, 
and  we  supposed  that  the  salt-makers,  finding  them- 
selves unable  to  do  anything,  had  retreated  to  a  settle- 
ment known  to  exist,  a  few  miles  from  the  coast. 

Upon  "counting  heads"  before  finally  shoving  off, 
I  missed  a  man  named  Johnson,  a  foretopman.  Hastily 
asking  who  knew  anything  of  him,  I  was  told  that  the 
last  time  he  was  seen  he  was  on  picket  in  the  bushes, 
just  on  the  edge  of  the  clearing,  and  about  two  hun- 
dred yards  from  the  beach.  I  hailed  him  as  loudly  as 
I  could,  but  got  no  answer ;  and  then  ordering  the 
boats  to  keep  fast,  and  taking  a  carbine  in  my  hand, 
started  towards  where  he  was  last  seen,  thinking  he 
might  have  had  some  of  the  whiskey,  and  had  fallen 
asleep. 

A  road  led  into  the  woods  from  the  clearing,  and  -as 
I  did  not  see  Johnson  when  I  got  to  it,  I  went  a  little 
way  along  it,  still  hailing  him,  saying  that  I  should 
leave  him  if  he  did  not  come  out.  Seeing  and  hearing 
nothing,  I  turned  to  go  back  to  the  boats,  when  I 
suddenly  felt  myself  seized  by  the  throat  and  by  both 
arms  from  behind,  and  rendered  at  once  incapable  of 
resistance,  or  even  of  calling  out. 

Before  I  could  recover  from  my  surprise  I  had  a  dirty 
roll  of  cloth  shoved  into  my  mouth,  and  tied  behind, 
and  was  being  rushed  along  the  bush  road  at  a  tre- 


316  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

mendous  pace  by  two  strapping  fellows,  who  held  each 
arm ;  while  three  others,  one  of  whom  carried  my  car- 
bine in  addition  to  his  own  gun,  ran  along  abreast  of 
us  without  a  word ;  but  upon  my  trying  to  stop  or  strug- 
gle, pointed  my  own  carbine  at  me  in  a  very  significant 
way. 

I  suppose  we  must  have  kept  up  the  pace  for  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile,  when  I  became  so  exhausted,  from  the 
difficulty  in  breathing  with  the  gag  in  my  mouth,  that 
my  legs  gave  way  under  me  and  I  sank  down.  Seeing 
this,  the  person  who  seemed  to  be  in  command  of  the 
party  ordered  the  gag  to  be  taken  out,  and  then  allowed 
me  to  sit  with  my  back  against  a  tree.  Everything 
appeared  to  swim  before  my  eyes  for  a  few  moments,  and 
then  I  was  all  right  again,  although  my  heart  still  beat 
violently  and  I  felt  very  weak. 

By  this  time  it  was  growing  dusk  among  the  trees, 
but  I  could  see  that  a  large  party  of  arraej^  men  had 
joined  us,  mostly  clad  in  butternut  linsey-woolsey,  but 
with  belts  and  cartridge-boxes,  which  constituted  their 
only  resemblance  to  soldiers. 

Just  then  I  heard  musket-firing  on  the  beach  and 
the  report  of  our  howitzer  booming  through  the  woods. 
The  officer  in  command  now  hailed  a  man  who  was 
perched  in  the  top  of  a  huge  pine,  just  above  our 
heads,  and  asked  "  what  those  d — d  Yanks  were  doing 
now  ?" 

"  They  'pear  like  they've  fired  to  call  that  'un  in ;  and 
now  they're  a  shovin'  off  fur  ther  dog-goned  steamer !" 

In  a  few  minutes  the  lookout  came  scuffling  down 
from  the  tree,  and  reported  that  the  boats  had  gone  off, 
with  several  wounded  or  killed. 


I  AM  TAKEN  PRISONER.  317 

The  officer,  who  was  addressed  as  "  Cap,"  now  de- 
tailed a  squad  to  return  to  the  beach  to  ascertain  the 
amount  of  damage  done  by  us,  and  to  remain  all  night 
and  watch  the  proceedings  of  the  ship.  He  then  or- 
dered the  rest  to  fall  in,  placing  me  between  the  strag- 
gling ranks,  and  in  half  an  hour  we  saw  the  lights  of 
the  settlement  we  were  approaching. 

We  were  soon  surrounded  by  a  crowd  of  men  and 
women,  with  negroes  and  dogs  on  the  outskirts,  and 
one  man  levelled  a  shot-gun  at  my  head,  and  if  the 
captain  had  not  promptly  interfered,  would  have  blown 
my  brains  out,  then  and  there.  Even  then  he  contin- 
ued to  assert  that  he  ought  to  shoot  me,  because  we  had 
killed  his  brother,  down  at  the  salt-works,  with  "them 
rotten  shot,"  by  which  he  meant  our  howitzer-shells. 

I  was  now  marched  away  and  put  in  a  log  house  of 
one  room,  where,  by  the  light  of  a  flaring  pine-knot,  I 
recognized  Johnson  lying  on  the  ground,  with  his  head 
and  face  covered  with  blood  and  bruises. 

The  captain  told  me  that  if  we  tried  to  leave  the 
house  during  the  night  we  would  be  shot;  a  negro 
brought  in  some  corn-bread  and  cold  bacon  and  a 
bucket  of  water,  and  the  pine-knot  was  then  taken 
away,  and  the  door  shut. 

I  could  hear  a  guard,  on  post  outside,  growling  and 
cursing  at  being  put  to  watch  us,  and  swearing  that  the 
best  way  to  secure  us  was  to  "  let  daylight  through  us." 

Speaking  to  Johnson,  I  found  him  still  somewhat 
under  the  influence  of  the  whiskey  which  he  confessed 
to  have  drank,  but  he  was  evidently  suffering  very 
much  from  his  injuries  also.  He  said  he  had  been  sur- 
prised by  men  who  jumped  from  the  bushes,  and  was 

27* 


318  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

knocked  down  and  beaten  with  the  butt  of  a  musket. 
In  all  probability,  however,  he  had  been  asleep,  and 
probably  owed  his  being  beaten,  instead  of  being  shot, 
to  their  unwillingness  to  draw  the  fire  of  our  howitzer. 

I  think  I  never  passed  a  more  miserable  night.  I 
was  feverish  and  sick,  and  the  mosquitoes  and  fleas 
were  in  myriads.  I  could  eat  nothing,  although  I  had 
not  tasted  a  morsel  since  I  left  the  ship,  but  I  drank 
quantities  of  the  tepid  water  from  the  bucket  which 
had  been  left  us. 

My  reflections,  too,  were  anything  but  pleasant,  for 
in  addition  to  the  fact  that  I  was  a  prisoner,  I  had  the 
disagreeable  consciousness  that  I  had  become  so  through 
my  own  want  of  caution. 

The  next  morning,  soon  after  daylight,  the  captain 
opened  the  door  and  entered,  followed  by  two  or  three 
of  his  men.  Ordering  me  to  strip,  they  took  away  my 
coat  and  waistcoat,  with  my  watch  and  pocket-book. 
The  trousers  I  had  on  were  torn,  ragged,  and  dirty 
from  the  work  of  the  previous  day,  and  they  told  me 
I  could  put  them  on  again.  As  I  was  doing  so,  it 
flashed  across  my  mind  that  when  I  was  going  up  to 
cut  out  the  Suwanee  I  had  sewed  into  the  waist- 
band four  five-dollar  "greenbacks,"  wrapped  in  oiled 
silk,  and  about  the  same  amount  in  gold  pieces. 

This  I  had  done  in  case  we  were  captured  on  that 
occasion,  and  the  subsequent  stirring  events  had  driven 
the  matter  completely  from  my  recollection. 

I  had  lost  ray  cap  in  the  scuffle  of  the  previous 
evening,  and  the  captain,  who  seemed  to  be  not  a  bad 
fellow  at  bottom  (apparently  to  carry  out  the  idea  that 
exchange  is  no  robbery),  brought  me  a  well-worn  and 


/  AM   TAKEN  PRISONER,  319 

greasy  gray  felt  hat,  and  a  nondescript  garment  of 
coarse  yellowish-gray  negro  cloth,  which  he  called  a 
coat;  but,  with  the  exception  that  it  had  sleeves,  it 
bore  very  little  resemblance  to  that  garment.  In  this 
rig,  and  all  dirty  and  unshaven,  I  looked  uncommonly 
like  the  "  crackers"  around  me. 

The  captain  then  informed  me  that  he  had  to  go  to 
Newnansville,  to  report  the  result  of  the  attack  on  the 
salt-works,  and  that  he  should  take  us  with  him  and 
deliver  us  as  prisoners  of  war  to  the  officer  commanding 
the  district. 

He  also  gave  me  a  hint  to  keep  pretty  close  to  him 
until  we  were  well  clear  of  the  settlement,  "  as  some  of 
the  boys  felt  pretty  sore-headed,  and  might  go  for  me." 

After  a  breakfast  of  corn-bread  and  fried  fish,  and 
some  excellent  coffee  (no  doubt  run  in  from  Havana), 
we  set  off  on  our  march.  The  captain  took  with  him 
four  men,  and,  following  a  road  cut  through  the  woods, 
in  five  minutes  after  we  left  the  clearing,  and  its  patches 
of  corn  and  sweet-potatoes,  we  were  in  the  primeval 
forest. 

Although  I  was  not  in  condition,  either  physical 
or  mental,  to  enjoy  the  beauties  of  nature,  I  could  not 
help,  both  then  and  afterwards,  being  struck  by  the 
wealth  of  vegetation  of  these  Florida  woods,  which 
constantly  revived  my  recollection  of  tropical  scenes 
in  widely-separated  parts  of  the  world. 

Trudging  along  the  sandy  road  through  the  piney 
woods,  with  rough  stumps  sticking  up  and  almost 
obstructing  it  in  places,  we  would  emerge  upon  a 
"  savannah"  or  level  prairie,  with  the  rank  grass 
waving  like  grain,  and  kept  green  even  in  the  summer 


320  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

heats  by  the  water  which  everywhere  lies  so  near  the 
surface.  Skirting  this,  perhaps  we  come  upon  a  dry 
creek-bed  with  some  pools  remaining,  into  which  slide 
at  our  approach  ugly  mud-colored  alligators  of  all 
sizes.  Then  we  pass  round  the  head  of  a  cypress 
swamp,  with  the  curious  "  knees"  protruding  from  the 
slimy  water,  and  fringed  by  jungles  of  "saw-grass," 
ready  to  tear  the  skin  as  well  as  the  clothes  from  the 
explorer.  After  this  is  passed  the  trail  leads  over  a 
higher  tract,  where  sand  again  prevails,  and  giant  pines 
rustle  and  murmur,  although  not  a  breath  of  air  is  felt 
below,  and  the  heat  is  stifling.  Then  comes  a  thick 
palmetto  scrub,  and  then  a  rough  "corduroy"  road 
through  the  swamp  again,  with  a  wilderness  of  briers 
and  vines,  and  air-plants,  and  long,  ghostly,  gray 
Spanish  moss,  mud,  soft  and  black,  stagnant  pools, 
and  green  slime,  and  ochery  ooze,  the  hiding-place  of 
the  deadly  moccasin-snake. 

During  the  early  hours  of  the  day  we  saw  many 
birds:  woodpeckers  of  all  sizes  and  colors,  jays,  crows, 
kingfishers  of  gorgeous  plumage,  parroquets,  mock- 
ing-birds, cardinals,  and  hundreds  of  others;  while 
overheard,  in  the  savannahs,  soared  in  great  circles 
hawks  and  buzzards.  But  by  the  time  we  halted,  at 
about  noon,  to  eat  the  eternal  corn-bread  and  bacon, 
which  we  produced  from  pockets  and  haversacks,  the 
heat  had  driven  all  these  birds  into  the  recesses  of  the 
woods,  and  the  silence  of  the  forest  was  most  awful 
and  impressive. 

Though  far  more  intelligent  than  the  "  crackers"  he 
commanded,  my  captor  was  a  man  of  very  few  ideas, 
knowing  singularly  little  about  the  war,  or  indeed  any- 


I  AM  TAKEN  PRISONER.  321 

thing  outside  of  cattle-raising,  in  which  he  had  always 
been  engaged,  somewhere  down  about  the  Withlacoo- 
chee. 

His  idea  of  the  "  wah"  seemed  to  be  that  the  Yankees 
were  coming  down  to  appropriate  their  land  and  negroes, 
if  they  were  able.  But  he  was  clear  upon  one  point, 
and  that  was  that  "  the  blockade  had  played  h —  with 
the  business  of  shipping  cattle  to  Havana  and  Key 
West," 

In  the  course  of  the  day  he  had  also  let  drop  that 
he  expected  to  "get  particular  goss,"  whatever  that 
may  be,  from  his  commanding  officer,  on  account  of 
the  destruction  of  the  salt-works. 

Finding  that  conversation  always  came  round  to 
these  points,  causing  considerable  ruffling  of  the  cap- 
tain's temper,  I  ceased  to  talk,  and  our  halt  was  passed 
in  a  silence  in  keeping  with  that  of  the  woods  around 
us,  and  as  soon  as  the  guard  had  finished  their  cob- 
pipes,  we  got  the  order  to  move  on  again. 

Late  in  the  afternoon,  the  captain  informed  me  that 
we  were  approaching  Old  Suwanee,  on  the  river  of  the 
same  name,  where  he  intended  to  stop  that  night.  I 
might  have  known  we  were  near  some  settlement,  for 
we  began  to  see  half-wild  cattle  and  long-legged  black 
pigs  running  in  the  woods,  and  soon  a  baying  of 
crackers'  hounds  and  the  barking  of  negroes'  coon-dogs 
fell  on  our  ears,  and  we  found  ourselves  in  the  village 
of  Suwanee.  This  consisted  of  a  few  dilapidated  frame 
houses,  innocent  of  paint  or  whitewash,  a  "  grocery," 
where  the  whole  male  population  seemed  to  be  concen- 
trated on  a  tumble-down  piazza  with  a  shed  over  it, 
and  a  small  steam  saw-mill,  with  its  iron  smoke-stack, 
o* 


322  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

close  to  the  bank  of  the  river,  which  is  here  a  consider- 
able stream. 

The  captain  was  immediately  surrounded  by  a  crowd, 
asked  to  drink,  and  plied  with  questions,  while  we  were 
gaped  at  by  every  one,  and  comments  passed  on  our 
appearance,  as  if  we  had  been  some  strange  animals 
just  caught  in  the  woods.  After  being  again  and  again 
told  that  we  were  "sure  enough  Yanks,"  the  opinion 
was  generally  expressed  that  Yanks  were  not  so  much 
unlike  "  we'uns,"  after  all. 

We  were  now  taken  to  a  small  empty  shanty  near 
the  saw-mill,  the  doors  closed  upon  us  and  a  batten 
nailed  across  to  secure  it,  after  which  a  guard  was  set, 
and  we  were  left  in  the  dark  to  amuse  ourselves  with 
the  remnants  of  the  cold  bacon  and  bread. 

I  was  so  worn  out  that  I  soon  went  to  sleep,  although 
the  fleas  and  mosquitoes  were  worse  than  on  the  night 
before.  I  only  woke  up  once,  and  then  I  heard  John- 
son groaning  over  his  head,  which  was  by  this  time  so 
swollen  and  bruised  that  it  looked  more  like  a  ripe  egg- 
plant than  an  ordinary  human  cranium. 


CHAPTER    XXX. 

MY  EXPERIENCE  AS  A   PRISONER. 

AT  daylight  next  morning  we  were  roused  out  by 
the  guard,  some  breakfast  given  us,  and  orders  to  be 
ready  to  go  on  at  once.  I  was  now  really  alarmed 
about  Johnson's  condition.  He  had  eaten  nothing  for 
more  than  twenty-four  hours,  was  somewhat  delirious, 
and  I  thought  the  man  very  ill. 

When  the  captain  appeared  I  told  him  so,  and  that 
I  did  not  think  Johnson  was  fit  to  march.  Upon  this 
he  took  a  look  at  him,  and  after  exhausting  a  repertory 
of  strange  oaths,  said  he  was  bound  to  take  him  on, 
and  that  he  could  see  a  doctor  at  Newnansville. 

Finally  it  was  arranged  that  the  man  should  be  put 
into  a  country  cart  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  which 
vehicle  the  captain  intended  to  take  on  for  the  purpose 
of  bringing  back  ammunition  and  stores. 

This  settled,  there  now  arose  loud  cries  for  "Boy 
Jem,"  the  ferryman  of  the  place,  who  at  last  turned  up, 
and  who  proved  to  be  a  white-headed  negro  of  at  least 
seventy.  Boy  Jem  soon  put  us  across  the  river  in  his 
"dug-out,"  and  here  we  found  the  "  ky-art,"  as  they 
called  it,  under  a  shed  of  logs,  thatched  with  corn-stalks 
and  palmetto.  This  "  ky-art"  was  on  very  high  and 
rickety  wheels,  and  of  the  most  primitive  construc- 
tion throughout.  To  this  vehicle  they  proceeded  to 
harness  first  a  small  cow  in  the  shafts,  and  then,  as  a 

323 


324  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

leader,  a  queer  kind  of  a  sorrel  pony,  with  his  mane, 
tail,  and  fetlocks  full  of  burrs. 

Placing  some  fodder  in  the  bottom  of  the  cart, 
we  laid  Johnson  upon  it  and  started  eastward.  The 
road  was  better  than  on  the  day  before,  inasmuch 
as  there  was  less  swamp  and  less  corduroy,  but  the 
motion  of  the  springless  machine  jarred  the  man 
terribly. 

The  weather  was  delightful,  only  a  little  too  warm, 
but  we  were  shaded  by  the  woods  during  most  of  the 
day.  Not  unfrequently  we  came  to  solitary  farms  and 
clearings,  and  once  or  twice  to  settlements,  but  much 
of  the  way  was  through  virgin  forest  and  savannahs 
which  had  never  known  the  plough  or  hoe. 

We  saw  plenty  of  rabbits,  fox-squirrels,  sand-hill 
cranes,  and  other  birds  and  animals,  with  an  occasional 
glimpse  of  a  deer  or  wild  turkey;  but  the  captain 
sternly  repressed  the  wish  of  his  men  for  a  shot  at  the 
latter,  and  we  pressed  doggedly  on,  only  taking  a  short 
noon-rest.  Whether  moving  or  at  rest,  Johnson  mut- 
tered, or  screamed  and  moaned  all  the  time.  Occa- 
sionally I  gave  him  some  water  mixed  with  wild 
orange-juice  from  a  gourd,  and  he  would  take  nothing 
else,  nor  would  he  keep  over  his  face  a  ragged  piece 
of  mosquito-netting  which  an  old  colored  woman  had 
given  me  at  the  ferry  to  keep  the  flies  off. 

But  for  his  condition  I  should  really  have  enjoyed 
our  march  that  day,  for  I  had  somewhat  recovered 
from  my  fatigue  and  depression  of  mind,  and  I  had 
been  in  too  many  awkward  scrapes  before  to  take  a 
gloomy  view  of  matters  now.  I  had  besides  made  up 
my  mind  that  this  was  no  time  or  place  to  think  of 


MY  EXPERIENCE  AS  A   PRISONER.          325 

escape,  and  had  dismissed  the  subject  from  my  thoughts 
for  the  present. 

The  vegetation,  as  we  receded  from  the  coast,  some- 
what varied  from  that  of  the  day  before.  Huge  pines 
continued  to  be  seen ;  but  there  were  now  black 
walnuts  and  gums,  with  more  magnolias,  oleanders, 
and  wild  orange-trees,  as  well  as  the  everlasting  pal- 
metto. 

Jessamines  and  trailing  vines,  of  many  kinds,  filled 
the  air  with  lovely  odors,  in  spite  of  the  strong  tobacco 
smoke  from  the  cob-pipes  of  my  "  cracker"  friends,  the 
guard. 

That  night  we  rested  ten  miles  from  Newnansville, 
and  I  was  locked  up  with  Johnson,  who  was  now  dread- 
fully ill,  in  an  empty  corn-crib,  made  of  slabs,  and  ele- 
vated above  the  ground  about  three  feet.  The  guard 
sat  under  a  shed,  a  few  feet  off,  with  his  gun  between 
his  knees,  and  was  snoring  loudly  long  before  I  got  to 
sleep. 

At  early  daylight  I  was  awakened  by  some  gaunt, 
long-legged  black  pigs,  which  were  rooting  at  me  with 
their  snouts  between  the  slabs,  apparently  thinking  me 
some  new  kind  of  corn.  As  I  sat  up  and  recalled  my 
ideas,  I  must  say  that  I  had  what  they  call  a  "  realizing 
sense"  of  how  the  Prodigal  son  must  have  felt  when 
about  "  played  out"  and  consorting  with  swine. 

We  started  early,  and  reached  Newnansville  by  ten 
o'clock.  Here  there  was  quite  an  appearance  of  life, 
as  compared  with  the  other  places  we  had  passed 
through.  There  was  a  court-house,  one  or  two  law- 
yers' and  doctors'  offices,  and  a  store.  In  the  latter, 
beside  its  legitimate  business,  were  concentrated  the 

28 


326  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

post-office,  bar-room,  and  general  loafing  and  debating 
hall  for  all  the  males  of  the  place. 

The  captain  inquiring  at  the  store  where  he  would 
find  "the  colonel,"  was  told  that  they  "reckoned  he 
was  over  to  the  court-house,"  and  then  the  surrounding 
crowd  began  to  ask  me  the  stereotyped  questions  of 
which  I  was  so  tired.  "What  do  you  all  want? 
What  did  ye  come  down  yer  fur  ?  Do  you  think  you 
can  whip  us  ?"  etc. 

Fortunately,  this  was  soon  interrupted  by  a  summons 
before  the  colonel  who  commanded  the  district;  look- 
ing out  for  the  conscription,  guarding  part  of  the  coast, 
and  forwarding  recruits  and  provisions. 

He  was,  apparently,  a  well-educated  and  refined- 
looking  man  of  about  thirty,  tall  and  good-looking. 
He  did  not  give  me  much  of  his  conversation,  however, 
merely  asking  me  my  name,  rank,  and  ship,  all  of 
which  he  noted  down.  I  asked  him  for  parole,  but  he 
answered,  very  curtly,  "  No  parole  for  pirates,"  and 
then  ordered  me  to  be  locked  up  in  the  prison  attached 
to  the  court-house.  At  the  suggestion  of  the  captain, 
he  allowed  the  doctor  of  the  place  to  be  sent  for  to  look 
at  Johnson,  who  was  laid  on  the  floor  of  an  outer  room. 

The  prison-room  was  about  twelve  by  fifteen  feet 
square,  and  contained  already  about  five  or  six  de- 
serters, in  a  state  of  filth  and  squalor,  to  which  my 
own  condition  was  immaculate  cleanliness.  Here  I  at 
once  made  acquaintance  with  some  minute  but  active 
friends,  who  never  left  me  from  that  time  until  after  I 
reached  the  Union  lines. 

Several  days  passed  away  in  this  hole,  during  which 
Johnson  died,  as  the  jailer  informed  me,  of  "  arrysiplus 


MY  EXPERIENCE  AS  A   PRISONER.          327 

into  his  head,"  and  was  buried  by  some  negroes,  without 
any  ceremony. 

I  could  not  help  feeling  sorry  for  the  poor  man, 
although  his  bad  conduct  had  been  the  means  of  get- 
ting us  both  into  the  scrape.  But,  at  the  same  time,  I 
could  not  forget  that  I  was  also  responsible,  in  a  great 
degree,  for  my  capture,  from  my  want  of  caution.  I 
tried  my  best  to  learn  what  was  to  be  done  with  me, 
but  the  jailer  did  not  know.  The  prison,  as  I  have 
said,  was  infested  with  all  manner  of  creeping  and 
crawling  things,  while  we  had  field-beans,  cold  sweet 
potatoes,  and  corn-bread  for  food ;  and  for  drink,  luke- 
warm, muddy  water.  My  companions  were  not  above 
the  commonest  negro  in  intelligence,  and  below  him  in 
stolidity,  so  that  I  often  passed  the  whole  day  without 
speaking  to  any  one. 

Every  afternoon  the  population  of  the  little  town 
collected  in  front  of  the  court-house,  and,  while  waiting 
for  the  evening  parade,  would  amuse  themselves  by 
gaping  in  at  the  grated  windows  of  our  prison,  and 
exchanging  remarks  about  us. 

The  dress-parade  was  "richness"  itself.  Of  the 
seventy  or  eighty  men,  no  two  were  dressed  alike, 
although  most  of  them  were  in  homespun,  dyed  various 
shades  of  dirty  brown.  The  preliminary  dressing  and 
aligning  was  done  by  a  foul-mouthed  sergeant,  who 
seemed  to  know  something  of  his  business,  however, 
and  was  evidently  an  old  soldier.  Two  or  three  lieu- 
tenants looked  languidly  on,  while  the  sergeant  "cussed" 
this  one's  "  picter"  and  "  d — d"  that  one's  "  eyes,"  until, 
like  the  man  in  the  Sparrowgrass  papers,  he  had  cussed 
them  out  straight.  Then  the  drum  and  fife  beat  off; 


328  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

the  colonel  appeared ;  the  manual  was  gone  through 
with,  after  a  fashion,  and  the  "  troops"  marched  off. 
These  same  men,  however,  fought  like  tigers  when 
brought,  under  good  officers,  into  line  of  battle. 

About  this  time  a  woman,  who  was  admitted  to  see 
her  husband, — one  of  the  deserters, — saw  fit,  after  the 
fashion  of  womankind,  to  take  pity  upon  me  because  I 
was  a  prisoner.  .  She  took  an  opportunity  to  ask  me 
what  she  could  do  for  me,  and  I  told  her  to  bring  me 
a  comb,  some  soap,  and  a  piece  of  stuff  for  a  towel. 
Working  in  the  night,  I  got  a  piece  of  gold  out  of  my 
waistband,  and  gave  it  to  her  when  she  brought  the 
articles,  which  were  worth  more  than  their  weight  in 
gold  to  me,  and  I  afterwards  carried  them  about  stowed 
away  in  the  recesses  of  my  nondescript  butternut  gar- 
ment. 

Three  weeks  passed  in  this  manner,  and  I  began  to 
get  sick.  My  usual  appetite  and  elasticity  of  spirits 
deserted  me,  and  I  think  I  should  never  have  written 
these  lines  if  I  had  been  kept  in  that  hole  many  days 
longer.  But  one  day  I  was  sent  for  by  the  colonel,  who 
informed  me  that  he  was  going  to  send  some  recruits 
to  Tallahassee,  and  that  I  was  to  go  with  them  as  a 
prisoner,  giving  my  parole  that  I  would  not  attempt 
to  escape  during  the  journey. 

This  seemed  to  me  rather  hard  after  I  had  been  kept 
so  long  in  this  vile  prison,  on  account  of  parole  having 
been  refused  me.  I  therefore  declined  to  do  anything 
of  the  kind,  much  to  his  displeasure ;  but  he  was  too 
much  of  a  gentleman  to  revenge  himself  upon  a  helpless 
man,  as  he  might  so  easily  have  done. 

Early  next  morning  we  set  out,  the  party  consisting 


MY  EXPERIENCE  AS  A    PRISONER.          329 

of  about  forty  men,  who  had  been  collected  for  one  of 
the  Florida  regiments,  four  deserters  returning  to  their 
companies,  and  myself,  all  under  the  command  of  a 
lieutenant. 

This  march  was  a  hard  one  upon  those  of  us 
who  had  been  prisoners,  especially  as  the  deserters 
and  myself  were  put  in  irons  at  night  by  special 
order. 

The  lieutenant  in  charge  of  the  party  was  rather  a 
good-natured  young  man,  however,  so  he  halted  us  at 
about  four  o'clock  on  our  first  day's  march,  in  a  deserted 
clearing.  Here  we  rested,  and  passed  the  night  under 
some  sheds  and  corn-cribs,  the  roofs  of  which  were 
still  in  pretty  good  preservation.  The  next  morning 
about  ten  o'clock  we  came  to  a  little  town  named  Lake 
City,  although  some  of  the  men  called  it  Alligator. 
The  railroad  from  Jacksonville  passed  through  this 
place,  and  here  we  were  to  take  the  "ky-ars"  for 
Tallahassee.  It  was  a  most  dilapidated  station,  being 
merely  a  tumble-down  platform  and  a  shed.  There 
appeared  to  be  no  particular  time  for  trains.  One  or 
two  passed  during  the  day  with  most  rheumatic-looking 
cars,  and  asthmatic  engines,  but  they  had  no  room  for 
our  party.  After  a  good  deal  of  telegraphing,  which 
most  of  the  soldiers,  being  from  the  woods,  regarded 
with  speechless  wonder  as  they  pressed  round  the 
operator,  it  was  announced  that  we  could  not  have  a 
train  before  the  next  day.  So  we  had  to  pick  out  a 
soft  plank  at  the  station  for  the  night.  Next  day  the 
train  came,  and  we  got  down  to  Tallahassee  at  the  rate, 
including  stoppages,  of  about  eight  miles  an  hour.  I 
am  sure  I  was  in  no  hurry,  for  the  air  and  exercise 

18* 


330  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

were  bringing  me  up  again,  and  anything  was  pref- 
erable to  the  jail. 

There  was  great  improvement  in  the  country  as  we 
approached  Tallahassee,  fine  plantations  and  good  houses 
appearing,  while  the  little  city  itself  seemed  quite  metro- 
politan in  comparison  with  the  towns  I  had  lately  seen. 

When  we  arrived  I  was  marched  off  to  the  jail, 
which  was  a  great  improvement  on  my  last  place  of 
detention,  but  I  was  only  fated  to  spend  one  night 
there.  I  found  in  the  same  room  in  which  I  was  con- 
fined two  naval  officers  and  ten  sailors,  who  had  been 
captured  in  a  boat  somewhere  down  about  St.  Mark's. 
The  next  morning  after  my  arrival  we  were  all  for- 
warded by  rail  to  Quincy.  Thence  we  marched  to  a 
little  place  called  Attapulgus,  where  there  was  a  post- 
office,  with  the  usual  "  grocery"  or  whiskey-shop,  and 
thence  to  Bainbridge,  on  the  Flint  River.  Here  we  were 
transferred  to  a  small  "  stern-wheeler,"  and  taken  up 
the  river  to  Albany,  quite  a  smart  and  flourishing  little 
place.  While  we  were  on  board  the  boat  our  guard 
gave  themselves  no  concern  about  us ;  we  had  a  full 
chance  to  wash  ourselves  and  our  clothes,  and  it  was 
altogether  the  most  comfortable  time  I  had  had  since 
my  capture. 

The  boat  was  loaded  with  army-stores  for  Macon, 
where  we  were  also  to  be  sent  to  the  prison  camp. 

At  Albany  we  took  the  "  ky-ars"  again,  and  passed 
through  Oglethorpe  and  other  towns,  the  country 
becoming  high  and  broken,  as  well  as  less  fertile,  as  we 
approached  our  destination. 

At  Macon  we  were  marched  to  the  prison  camp, 
which  consisted  of  a  stockade,  with  some  rough  sheds 


MY  EXPERIENCE  AS  A   PRISONER.          331 

and  shanties  and  a  few  ragged  tents  as  shelter,  which 
were  overcrowded  by  a  great  mass  of  officers  and  sol- 
diers, gathered  there  from  all  points. 

I  must  confess  my  heart  sank  within  me  as  I  entered 
the  gate,  and  took  in  at  a  glance  the  wretchedness  and 
suffering  of  the  hundreds  confined  in  the  place. 

The  rule  here  was  very  severe,  and  the  food  bad  and 
scanty.  The  sentries  were  elevated  on  platforms,  run- 
ning round  the  outside  of  the  stockade,  and  they  not 
unfrequently  fired  upon  prisoners  who  had  unwittingly 
approached  the  "dead  line";  the  killing  or  wounding 
of  a  "  Yank"  being  attributed  to  zeal,  and  not  too  closely 
inquired  into.  The  officials  of  the  permanent  guard 
were  mostly  men  who  preferred  such  duty  to  going  into 
the  field,  and  they  were,  as  a  rule,  tyrants  against  whom 
there  was  no  appeal.  Fortunately,  my  clothing  was 
too  poor  for  any  one  to  take  a  fancy  to  it,  and  probably 
for  this  reason  I  escaped  any  search. 

Time  wore  on,  and  November  came.  Want  of 
proper  food,  clothing,  and  shelter,  and  the  depression 
arising  from  want  of  exercise  and  want  of  hope,  were 
doing  their  work,  and  men  were  dying  in  numbers 
every  day.  Each  morning  a  detail  of  prisoners  brought 
out  the  dead,  and  laid  them  in  a  ghastly  row  near  the 
gate,  whence  they  were  piled  into  carts  and  taken  away 
to  be  buried  in  pits,  in  their  filth  and  rags,  just  as  they 
had  died.  Pneumonia,  typhus,  and  hospital  gangrene 
filled  the  shanty  which  was  called  a  hospital,  and  it 
was  certain  death  to  occupy  a  bed  there;  so  that  men 
ill  with  pneumonia,  racked  with  cough,  or  crippled  with 
rheumatism  had,  like  sick  animals,  to  creep  into  some 
corner,  and  take  their  chances. 


332  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

I  think  the  doctor  did  his  best,  but  I  heard  him  say 
what  I  believe  was  true,  that  he  had  no  command  of 
food  and  medicine  proper  for  such  cases. 

The  smallest  cut  or  abrasion  of  the  skin  festered  and 
caused  sores  in  the  healthiest  of  the  men,  while  the 
food  and  water  caused  diarrhoea  and  dysentery,  which 
carried  off  many. 

Water  was  hauled  and  placed  in  barrels  just  inside 
the  gate.  The  quantity  was  too  small  for  the  needs  of 
the  prisoners,  and,  as  if  that  was  not  bad  enough,  I 
have  more  than  once  seen  the  guards  wash  their  hands 
and  rinse  their  mouths  in  the  very  water  we  were 
obliged  to  drink.  I  don't  know  whether  the  officers 
knew  this  or  not.  If  remonstrated  with,  aH»low  of  the 
fist,  or  the  butt  of  a  musket,  was  the  answer,  and  if  this 
treatment  was  resented  the  prisoner  soon  found  himself 
"  bucked  and  gagged,"  or  decorated  with  a  heavy  ball 
and  chain. 

But  I  do  not  intend  to  dwell  any  more  upon  my 
prison  experience.  The  story  has  been  told  a  hundred 
times,  and  for  the  most  part  truthfully.  I  have  only 
to  be  thankful  that  I  came  through  that  trying  time 
better  than  most  men.  I  made  up  my  mind,  how- 
ever, that  I  must  get  out  of  that,  or  I  should  not  sur- 
vive the  winter ;  and  there  was  then  no  prospect  of  an 
exchange. 

By  cautiously  changing  my  greenbacks  I  managed 
occasionally  to  procure  eggs,  fresh  meat,  and  bread 
from  the  people  who  were  allowed  to  trade  in  such 
things,  paying  the  most  enormous  prices  in  Confederate 
notes,  after  suffering  a  frightful  "  shave"  in  having  the 
money  exchanged. 


EXPERIENCE  AS  A   PRISONER.          333 

To  cook  these  articles,  as  well  as  that  which  was 
served  out  as  a  ration,  we  had  ovens  and  fireplaces 
made  in  the  earth,  and  as  little  or  no  fuel  was  supplied, 
we  gathered  brush,  sticks,  corn-stalks,  or  any  other 
matters  which  would  burn. 

I  had  become  quite  intimate  with  an  officer  named 
Beck  ford,  who  had  come  up  with  me  from  Tallahassee, 
and  I  divided  with  him  what  I  bought  to  eat,  so  that 
we  were  in  much  better  condition  than  most  of  the 
unfortunate  fellows  about  us. 

Our  whole  thoughts  and  conversation  turned  on  the 
subject  of  escape,  and  after  turning  over  and  discussing 
the  matter  in  every  way,  we  concluded  to  try  to  dig 
out. 


CHAPTER    XXXI. 

WE  DIG  OUT  OF  PRISON. — WORK  HARD  FOR  LIBERTY. 
— AND   ARE   RECAPTURED. 

BY  the  drafting  away  of  some  of  us  to  other  places 
of  confinement,  and  by  death  vacancies,  I  had  succeeded, 
by  right  of  being  one  of  the  oldest  inhabitants,  to  a 
"  bunk"  built  of  fence-rails  in  an  inner  corner  of  one 
of  the  shanties  near  the  stockade.  To  be  successful  in 
digging  out  it  was  necessary  to  take  into  our  confidence 
more  than  a  dozen  people,  some  of  whom  were  willing 
to  assist  and  take  the  chances  of  escape,  while  others 
were  so  ill  or  so  depressed  in  spirit  that  they  could 
only  promise  to  preserve  our  secret.  When  a  man  gets 
to  that  state  he  is  only  one  remove  from  camp  fever, 
and  is  most  probably  destined  soon  to  take  passage  iu 
the  carts  to  the  burial-pits. 

We  began  to  work  underneath  my  bunk,  digging 
with  sharpened  sticks,  knives,  and  tin  cans,  going  down 
about  eight  feet,  and  carrying  the  earth  away  in  shirts 
and  other  garments,  spreading  it  carefully  in  the  sinks 
every  morning  before  daylight.  Fortunately,  we  had 
no  impediment  from  rocks.  We  then  struck  out  hori- 
zontally, and  as  no  one  was  allowed  to  go  between  the 
back  of  our  shanty  and  the  stockade,  we  could  work 
without  much  fear  of  being  heard.  At  this  time  some 
one  managed  to  secrete  an  axe,  which  we  used  as  a  pick, 
and  got  on  much  faster,  often  putting  two  men  down 
and  letting  them  work  there  during  the  day,  calling 
334 


WE  DIG   OUT  OF  PRISON. 

them  up  if  there  was  any  chance  of  a  roll-call  or  mus- 
ter. When  we  had  passed  the  stockade  and  it  was  time 
to  decide  upon  how  we  were  to  approach  the  surface,  I 
became  fearfully  anxious  lest  we  should  be  exposed  by 
the  carelessness  of  some  of  our  number,  or  that  our  ex- 
cavation should  be  discovered  by  some  of  the  patrol  on 
the  outside.  But  all  went  well,  and  we  so  engineered 
our  work  that  it  would  terminate  among  a  clump  of 
bushes  and  briers,  which  grew  about  forty  feet  outside 
the  stockade.  The  whole  length  of  the  tunnel  was 
about  seventy-five  feet,  and  large  enough  to  allow  one 
person  to  pass  easily  in  a  very  stooping  posture.  The 
last  part  of  the  digging  was  extremely  laborious  from 
want  of  air,  and  from  the  necessity  of  transporting 
all  the  earth  to  the  entrance  and  then  getting  rid  of  it. 
Had  we  had  any  more  supervision  and  inspection  than 
actually  was  the  case,  we  must  surely  have  been  dis- 
covered. As  it  was,  we  were  treated  very  much  as  a 
drove  of  cattle  turned  into  a  field. 

Finally  the  time  was  fixed  for  the  attempt.  It  was 
to  be  on  Sunday  evening  just  at  dusk,  for  then  we  had 
never  any  roll-call,  and  there  appeared  to  us  to  be  less 
vigilance  on  that  day.  The  weather  was  cold,  but 
settled,  and  promised  to  remain  fair  for  some  time. 

When  it  came  to  the  point,  only  three  beside  Beck- 
ford  and  myself  could  be  found  willing  to  make  a 
dash  for  liberty,  most  of  those  in  the  secret  saying  that 
they  wished  us  well,  but  were  too  weak  and  sick  to 
venture. 

We  had  determined  to  endeavor  to  reach  the  coast 
of  Georgia,  and  to  try  to  get  on  board  of  some  one  of 
our  blockading  vessels  in  Sapelo,  Wassaw,  or  Ossabaw 


336  THIRTY   YEARS  AT  SEA. 

Sounds ;  but  how,  exactly,  we  were  to  manage  the  dis- 
tance between  Macon  and  the  coast  we  did  not  know. 

During  Sunday  I  managed  to  get  the  last  of  my  gold 
pieces  changed  for  Confederate  money,  there  being  a 
number  of  persons  employed  about  the  camp  through 
whom  such  things  could  be  managed,  if  one  was  will- 
ing to  be  sufficiently  cheated  in  the  transaction.  With 
part  of  the  money  I  laid  in  about  a  dozen  hard-boiled 
eggs  and  a  loaf  of  bread,  which  I  stowed  in  a  ragged 
haversack  belonging  to  one  of  the  party.  We  were 
not  troubled  with  packing  our  wardrobe,  but  I  ex- 
changed my  worn  and  broken  boots  with  a  newly- 
arrived  prisoner  whose  shoes  were  quite  good,  and 
who,  for  a  wonder,  had  been  allowed  to  retain  them. 
The  consideration,  or  boot,  was  a  dollar  note,  a  tin  cup, 
.a  bottle  for  water,  and  nine  onions, — the  latter  being 
considered  worth,  in  prison  barter,  twenty-five  cents 
apiece,  and  seldom  to  be  had  at  that  price. 

Although  the  days  were  now  very  short  the  time 
passed  very  slowly,  for  I  was  impatient.  When  the 
hour  arrived,  one  of  the  five  could  not  make  up  his 
mind  to  encounter  the  risk,  fatigue,  and  prolonged 
exposure  which  we  must  certainly  have,  even  if  we 
were  ultimately  successful. 

We  started  just  at  dusk,  some  of  those  who  were 
left  behind  watching  the  sentry  on  post  nearest  to  us, 
and  signalling  to  us  at  the  extremity  of  the  tunnel  by 
knocking  together  two  stones,  which  we  could  hear 
underground  with  great  distinctness.  Working  with 
our  axe  and  hands  according  to  these  signals,  we  soon 
broke  through  to  the  surface  in  the  very  centre  of  the 
clump  of  briers.  One  by  one  we  emerged,  lying  down 


WE  DIG   OUT  OF  PRISON.  337 

at  once,  both  to  get  breath  and  to  see  whether  we  had 
been  observed.  It  was  now  quite  dark,  but  starlight, 
and  we  could  see,  through  the  bushes,  the  form  of  the 
sentry  on  the  platform  of  the  stockade,  as  he  marched 
to  and  fro  on  his  beat,  and  sometimes  stood  still  for 
two  or  three  minutes,  humming  a  tune  which  we  could 
distinctly  hear.  Once  he  suddenly  hailed  in  a  loud 
voice,  causing  our  hearts  to  jump;  but  it  proved  that 
he  was  calling  to  some  prisoners  inside  to  keep  away 
from  the  line.  He  was  a  good-hearted  fellow,  and  did 
not  shoot  first  and  hail  afterwards. 

After  about  twenty  minutes  we  cautiously  crawled 
out,  and  walked  at  some  distance  from  each  other  round 
the  outskirts  of  the  town,  striking  off  afterwards  on  a 
road  leading  to  the  south.  We  did  not  dare  to  try  to 
cross  the  bridge,  where  there  was,  no  doubt,  a  guard, 
and  so  we  kept  down  parallel  with  the  right  bank  of 
the  Ocmulgee.  Going  in  Indian  file,  we  walked  as 
fast  as  we  could,  being  all  pretty  well  shod,  which  was 
fortunate,  for  the  road  was  very  rough  and  stony. 

Beckford  had  managed  by  judicious  exchanges,  to 
get  a  suit  of  gray  and  a  felt  hat,  but  the  other  two 
wore  the  remains  of  their  blue  uniform,  with  their 
shabby  blue  fatigue  caps,  and  I  felt  rather  uneasy 
about  that. 

After  we  had  gone  a  couples  of  miles  we  heard  foot- 
steps and  loud  voices  in  advance  of  us,  so  we  dropped 
down  in  the  angles  of  a  worm-fence,  and  lay  quiet. 
Before  they  got  to  us  we  knew  by  the  voices  that  they 
were  negroes,  who  were  wrangling  about  whether  a 
skiff  which  they  had  left  "at  de  mouf  ob  de  creek^ 
had  been  properly  made  fast  or  not.  A  small  dog  which 
p  29 


338  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

was  with  them  came  toward  me,  and  sniffed  and 
whined ;  but  one  of  the  negroes  just  then  calling  him, 
he  went  on,  after  a  low,  doubtful  growl. 

We  now  hurried  on,  the  road  being  down-hill  all  the 
time,  and  at  last  came  to  a  creek  of  considerable  size, 
which  emptied  into  the  Ocmulgee. 

After  a  little  search  we  found  the  skiff,  with  the  oars 
in  her,  and  tied  to  a  bush,  and  jumping  in,  we  shoved 
off  at  once,  pulling  quietly  down  and  out  into  the 
river.  I  knew  that  the  Ocmulgee  emptied  into  the 
Altamaha,  and  the  latter  into  the  Atlantic,  but  that 
was  about  all  I  knew  of  the  geography  of  our  intended 
route.  But  I  considered  that  we  were  fortunate  in 
getting  the  boat,  as  we  should  probably  thus  elude  any 
immediate  pursuit;  besides  which,  I  felt  a  sort  of  confi- 
dence from  being  once  more  afloat,  even  on  a  river  far 
inland. 

When  once  we  were  in  mid-stream  I  took  charge, 
and  steered  with  a  piece  of  board,  although  I  should 
much  rather  have  pulled  an  oar,  for  the  night  was 
very  chilly.  It  was  now  so  late  that  the  lights  in  the 
houses  on  the  river-banks  were  extinguished,  but  we 
easily  recognized  their  situation  by  the  barking  of  the 
dogs,  and  then  would  cease  pulling  until  we  had  drifted 
well  by. 

There  are  rapids  and  falls  at  Macon,  which  is  at  the 
head  of  navigation,  and  the  current  in  the  river  below 
is  quite  strong,  so  that,  with  it  and  the  oars,  I  suppose 
we  made  at  least  five  miles  an  hour.  Including  the 
distance  we  had  walked,  I  considered  that  before  day- 
light we  were  thirty  miles  in  a  direct  line  from  Macon. 
The  river-banks  were  much  lower,  and  woods  appeared 


WE  DIG   OUT  OF  PRISON.  339 

at  intervals  on  both  shores.  At  daylight  we  hauled 
into  a  clump  of  bushes  growing  partly  in  the  water, 
closing  them  behind  us,  and  intending  to  remain  there 
during  the  day.  There  was  a  little  channel  of  water 
running  between  the  bar,  or  low  island,  on  which  we 
were  and  the  bank,  and  a  dense  pine  wood  came  down 
to  the  edge  of  the  water. 

We  now  ate  something,  and,  when  the  sun  was  up 
and  it  became  warm  enough,  laid  down  close  together 
in  the  bottom  of  the  skiff  and  slept  for  several  hours. 

A  small  stern-wheel  steamer  passed  up  in  the  after- 
noon, and  we  saw  a  negro  on  horseback  on  the  other 
side  of  the  river,  who  was  driving  in  some  cattle,  but 
no  one  observed  us. 

At  night  we  floated  down  again  in  the  same  way. 
The  country  appeared  to  be  much  more  sparsely  settled, 
and  there  was  a  good  deal  more  woods.  At  daylight 
we  stopped,  but  not  in  nearly  so  good  a  place  as  the 
day  before,  for  we  were  forced  to  leave  the  skiff  ex- 
posed on  the  river-bank  and  to  go  quite  deep  in  among 
the  pines  before  we  found  a  clump  of  undergrowth  and 
briers  in  which  to  hide.  Here  we  finished  the  last  of 
our  bread.  During  the  day  we  heard  voices  in  the  dis- 
tance, but  could  see  no  one,  nor  even  tell  exactly  from 
which  direction  the  sounds  came. 

Just  at  sundown  we  went  cautiously  back  to  the  place 
where  we  had  left  our  boat,  and  to  our  consternation 
found  her  gone.  We  could  see  where  she  had  been 
shoved  off,  and  there  were  a  good  many  footprints 
about  which  were  not  ours.  We  were  at  first  uncer- 
tain whether  the  persons  who  had  taken  the  boat  had 
been  in  search  of  us,  but,  after  looking  about  more 


340  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

closely,  by  the  fading  light  I  saw  the  prints  of  the  butts 
of  muskets,  and  two  or  three  torn  cartridge  papers, 
where  they  had  evidently  loaded  some  pieces,  which 
satisfied  me  that  we  were  being  searched  for.  I  could 
only  account  for  their  not  having  searched  the  woods  by 
the  probability  that  they  were  a  small  party  and  that 
the  woods  were  very  extensive. 

We  now  had  a  long  discussion  as  to  what  we  should 
do.  Beckford  and  myself  were  for  remaining  in  the 
woods,  or  for  partially  retracing  our  steps,  but  the  two 
others,  who  were  officers  of  a  Western  regiment,  were 
for  pushing  on  down  the  bank,  trusting  to  chance  for 
finding  another  boat,  and  something  to  eat.  In  regard 
to  the  latter  point,  I  did  not  feel  any  great  anxiety. 
As  soon  as  we  could  establish  communication  with 
some  of  the  negroes  we  would  get  something,  and  I 
thought  it  most  important  to  evade  the  first  pursuit, 
even  at  the  cost  of  suffering  from  hunger. 

After  much  talk,  which  at  last  became  somewhat 
angry,  we  agreed  to  separate,  and  the  two  others  pushed 
on  down  the  river-bank,  while  Beckford  and  I  walked 
inland,  stumbling  and  falling  in  the  darkness. 

At  daylight  we  found  ourselves  on  the  edge  of  the 
woods,  and  saw  that  we  were  near  a  small  farm-house, 
close  to  which  ran  a  country  road. 

We  remained  there,  watching,  for  some  time.  Pres- 
ently a  negro  man  came  out  of  a  small  log  house,  or 
"  quarter,"  and  went  over  towards  the  stable,  where  he 
began  to  attend  to  the  stock.  Then  a  negro  woman 
came  out,  and  began  to  bustle  about  in  a  sort  of  shed 
kitchen,  the  blue  smoke  beginning  to  curl  up  from  the 
mud  chimney. 


WE  DIG   OUT  OF  PRISON.  341 

By-and-by  a  gray-haired  old  man,  in  his  shirt-sleeves 
and  smoking  a  cob-pipe,  came  to  the  door  of  the  main 
house  and  called  to  "  Nancy"  to  fetch  in  breakfast.  A 
most  tantalizing  smell  of  frying  bacon  now  rose  in  the 
morning  air,  and  we  could  almost  hear  it  "frizzing"  in 
the  pan.  Two  little  black  imps  in  tow-cloth  shirts  now 
occupied  Nancy's  attention  by  skirmishing  about  the 
fireplace,  requiring  them  to  be  cuffed  and  scolded,  and 
turned  out-of-doors,  by  which  time  the  breakfast  ap- 
peared to  be  ready,  and  Nancy  began  dishing  up. 

It  had  now  became  evident  to  us  that  there  were  no 
other  persons  about  the  place ;  and  I  proposed  to  Beck- 
ford  to  go  farther  down,  emerge  upon  the  road,  and  then 
walk  up  it  towards  the  house,  as  if  we  were  going  to- 
wards Macon.  A  suitable  story  suggested  itself  to  me 
to  tell  the  old  man  ;  and,  at  any  rate,  I  was  bound  to 
have  some  of  that  bacon,  as  well  as  obtain  some  infor- 
mation which  would  be  of  use  to  us. 

As  we  were  walking  up  the  road  I  heard  the  negro 
woman  call  out,  "  Mass'  Jeems !  here's  two  men  !"  The 
old  man  came  to  the  door,  stared  at  us  for  a  moment,  and 
then  said,  "  Hello,  boys !  Whar's  ye  goin'  ?"  I  told 
him  we  were  going  to  Macon ;  that  we  were  from  Tel- 
fair  County,  and  had  been  on  furlough  on  account  of 
sickness,  but  were  now  going  back  to  report.  He  asked 
us  to  come  in  and  have  some  breakfast,  and  at  once 
began  to  talk  at  a  great  rate,  hardly  stopping  for  any 
answers  from  us.  He  told  us  about  a  son  of  his  in 
the  Ninth  Georgia,  who  had  been  wounded  in  Virginia, 
and  made  a  lieutenant ;  and  how  the  son's  wife  had  died 
since  he  went  away,  leaving  a  little  granddaughter  to 
take  care  of;  and  how  powerful  bad  his  son  felt  because 

:9* 


342  THIRTY    YEARS  AT  SEA. 

he  couldn't  get  home  while  his  wife  was  ill.  In  his  re- 
mote little  plantation,  the  garrulous  old  man  evidently 
seldom  had  a  chance  to  talk  to  new  listeners. 

At  last  he  asked  us  what  regiment  we  belonged  to, 
and  I  told  him  the  Thirteenth  Georgia,  a  detachment 
of  which  I  knew  to  be  in  Macon. 

Remarking  that  he  did  not  know  any  one  in  that 
regiment,  he  went  on  to  talk  about  the  war  and  the 
Yankees,  and  asked  us  what  battles  we  had  been  in. 
But  before  we  could  answer  he  got  back  again  to  his 
son,  the  lieutenant,  and  the  death  of  his  son's  wife, 
which  we  had  all  over  again,  varied  by  some  talk 
about  the  "  craps,"  and  a  circumstantial  account  of  the 
choking  to  death  of  a  brindle  heifer. 

Nancy  now  appeared  with  the  breakfast,  and  the 
granddaughter  came  in,  a  nice  little  girl,  about  eleven 
years  old.  While  Beckford  listened  to  the  old  man,  I 
began  to  talk  to  the  child,  asking  her  if  she  had  seen  any 
of  "  our"  soldiers  about  lately.  She  said,  "  No,  none  had 
been  by  for  a  long  time ;  not  since  they  took  off  grand- 
daddy's  mule."  The  old  man's  ear  caught  the  word 
"  mule,"  and  he  went  on  to  tell  us  about  a  "  dog-goned 
quartermaster"  who  had  been  going  round  collecting 
mules  and  horses  for  the  army,  returning,  without 
any  pause,  to  the  heifer,  which  he  said  had  always 
been  "an  ornery,  breachy  creater." 

I  now  happened  to  ask  the  little  girl  if  she  went  to 
school,  and  she  said  she  did  not;  the  schoolmaster  had 
gone  in  the  army  and  the  school  was  broken  up,  but  she 
tried  to  study  some  geography,  arithmetic,  and  spelling. 
Finding  I  appeared  interested,  she  brought  me  her 
books  to  look  at.  Among  them  was  an  atlas,  and,  turn- 


WE  DIG   OUT  OF  PRISON.  343 

ing  it  over,  I  saw  a  very  good  map  of  Georgia.  It 
struck  me  at  once  that  I  must  have  that  map ;  so  watch- 
ing a  chance,  while  she  had  her  back  turned,  I  tore  it 
out,  and,  folding  it  up,  slipped  it  into  my  breast. 
Stealing  that  little  girl's  map  was  one  of  the  meanest 
things  I  ever  did  in  my  life,  but  I  knew  it  would  prove 
a  most  valuable  aid  to  us  if  we  were  to  succeed  in  es- 
caping. As  it  turned  out  it  did  us  no  good,  but  I  could 
not  foresee  that  at  the  time. 

After  more  than  an  hour,  during  which  we  had  eaten 
a  tremendous  breakfast, — Nancy  being  summoned  more 
than  once  to  replenish  the  dishes  of  bacon  and  corn- 
pone, — we  said  we  must  move  on.  The  kind  old  man 
filled  my  haversack  with  the  remains  of  the  breakfast, 
and  gave  us  some  eggs  which  he  had  had  boiled,  say- 
ing that  we  had  a  long  way  to  go  yet:  more  than  forty 
miles  by  the  road. 

"We  started  off  briskly  up  the  road,  the  old  man 
shouting  after  us  directions  how  to  go,  but  as  soon  as 
we  were  fairly  out  of  sight  of  the  house  we  struck  to 
the  right,  and  circled  back  into  the  same  pine  woods 
from  which  we  had  come.  Here  we  continued  to  walk 
cautiously  during  the  day,  parallel  with  the  course 
of  the  river,  crossing  several  sandy  roads  cut  up  by 
wheels,  but  seeing  no  one. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  we  heard  a  sound  of  an  axe, 
chopping,  and  carefully  approaching,  discovered  a  negro, 
who  was  cutting  cord-wood.  No  one  appeared  to  be 
with  him,  and  after  a  few  minutes  we  walked  right  up 
to  the  man,  who  was  at  first  much  startled  by  our 
appearance.  As  far  as  my  observation  had  gone,  I 
found  the  negroes  much  better  informed  as  to  the 


344  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

course  and  events  of  the  war  than  the  rural  whites  of 
the  South,  and  they  were  universally  inclined  to  assist 
any  Northern  prisoners  to  the  extent  of  their  power,  so 
I  determined  to  trust  this  man. 

We  told  him  we  were  Union  prisoners  escaped  from 
Macon,  and  that  we  wanted,  if  possible,  to  get  a  skiff 
and  some  provisions,  so  that  we  could  follow  the  river 
down. 

He  seemed  to  take  in  the  situation  at  once,  and  said 
he  would  do  anything  he  could  for  us,  but  that  we  must 
take  care,  for  a  squad  of  soldiers  were  looking  for  us, 
and  that  they  had  caught  two  men  that  morning  not 
very  far  from  where  we  then  were.  He  also  said  that 
they  had  taken  them  down  towards  Hawkinsville,  a 
few  miles  farther  down  the  river. 

The  negro  then  directed  us  to  a  thicket  not  far  off, 
where  we  could  lie  down  on  the  dried  leaves,  promising 
to  come  to  us  that  night  with  whatever  he  could  bring. 
We  slept  for  two  or  three  hours,  when  we  woke  up 
very  much  chilled,  and  were  obliged  to  walk  about  to 
keep  warm  until  about  eleven  o'clock,  when  our  friend 
appeared.  He  had  a  small  bagful  of  corn-meal  and 
a  large  piece  of  bacon  side,  which  I  suspect  was  a  con- 
tribution from  his  master's  smoke-house ;  but  we  asked 
no  questions.  We  then  followed  him  as  he  piloted  us 
down  to  where  a  stream,  called  Mossy  Creek,  entered 
the  Ocmulgee.  Here  we  found  two  or  three  skiffs  and 
canoes  made  fast  under  the  bushes,  and  selecting  one, 
we  jumped  in  and  shoved  off,  first  thanking  our  black 
friend  sincerely.  He  said,  "  Neber  mind  'bout  dat, 
mass'.  I'd  do  mor'n  dat  for  you  all.  But  mind, 
ef  ye  git  cotched  don't  ye  tell  on  me,  or  dey'll  cut  de 


WE  ARE  CAPTURED  AGAIN.  345 

hide  offen  me !  Good-by,  mass'.  Mind  ye  git  by 
Hawkinsville  afore  daylight,  fur  ther's  sogers  thar." 

It  Avas  a  beautiful  starlight  night,  and  we  kept  down 
the  middle  of  the  river,  paddling  at  a  good  rate,  until 
a  light  or  two  and  the  dim  outline  of  roofs  against  the 
sky  showed  us  we  were  approaching  Hawkinsville, 
when  we  edged  over  towards  the  opposite  bank. 
Everything  was  quiet,  and  I  thought  we  were  going 
to  slip  by  nicely,  when  a  musket-shot  was  fired,  and 
then  two  or  three  more,  the  balls  "  pinging"  and  skip- 
ping along  the  water  close  to  us. 

Then  there  was  a  hail  to  halt,  and  a  large  skiff,  with 
five  or  six  men  in  her,  pulled  out  from  the  bank,  just 
below  us,  and  before  we  well  knew  what  was  going  on, 
or  which  way  to  pull,  we  found  ourselves  prisoners 
again,  all  our  toil  and  trouble  gone  for  nothing. 

\\re  were  in  the  hands  of  a  squad  which  had  left 
Macon  in  search  of  us;  and  with  many  curses  at  the 
trouble  we  had  given  them,  and  jeers  at  our  want  of 
success,  we  were  taken  across  the  river,  put  in  irons,  and 
confined  in  a  store-house  on  the  wharf  at  Hawkinsville. 

Here  we  found  the  two  others  from  whom  we  had 
parted  some  thirty  hours  before.  We  learned  from 
them  that  our  captors  had  felt  certain  that  we  would 
again  try  the  river,  and  so  had  lain  in  wait  and  caught 
us,  as  they  expected. 

The  next  morning  we  were  placed  on  board  a  stern- 
wheel  steamboat,  having  still  hand-irons  on ;  and  that 
night,  at  sundown,  found  ourselves  once  more  within 
the  prison-pen  at  Macon.  After  a  tirade  from  the 
officer  of  the  guard,  our  hand-irons  were  taken  off, 

and  we  were  each  fitted  with  a  ball  and  chain, 
p* 


346  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

I  take  it  for  granted  that  few  of  those  who  will  read 
this  have  worn  a  ball  and  chain,  and  they  may  like 
to  know  exactly  what  they  were  like.  Those  which 
were  put  upon  us  were  evidently  made  by  some  country 
blacksmith,  and  consisted  of  a  shackle,  to  surround  the 
ankle,  which  was  riveted  on,  and  attached  to  which 
was  a  piece  of  ox-chain  about  three  feet  long,  which 
was  again  firmly  attached  to  an  iron  ball,  which  weighed 
about  twelve  pounds.  This  we  had  to  carry  in  our 
hands  whenever  we  moved  about,  or  else  tie  it  up 
about  the  waist  with  any  string  or  rope  we  could  get 
hold  off. 

To  prevent  the  shackle  from  galling  the  ankle  too 
much  we  bound  and  twisted  about  the  iron  any  old 
rags  which  we  could  spare  from  our  scanty  apparel. 

Every  morning  and  evening  we  had  to  report  our- 
selves to  the  guard  at  the  gate  to  have  our  irons 
examined,  so  that  they  might  be  sure  we  were  not 
tampering  with  them.  In  addition  to  this  we  were 
liable  to  be  called  and  examined  at  any  hour  of  the 
day  or  night. 


CHAPTER    XXXII. 

I  AM  EXCHANGED,  AND  GET  HOME  AGAIN. 

I  DO  not  propose  to  give  any  further  details  of  my 
prison  life.  The  ball  and  chain  were  taken  off  at  the 
end  of  ten  days,  more,  I  think,  because  the  supply  was 
short  and  they  were  wanted  for  more  recent  offenders, 
than  from  any  disposition  to  be  merciful  to  us.  But  we 
were  singled  out  for  all  sorts  of  annoyances  still,  having 
to  report  ourselves  three  times  a  day  to  the  officer  of 
the  guard,  who  generally  amused  himself  by  cursing 
us  for  having  the  audacity  to  suppose  that  we  could 
escape. 

Leading  this  sort  of  life,  of  course  time  dragged  with 
us  fearfully.  Exposure,  filth,  bad  food,  and  disappoint- 
ment began  to  tell,  and  I  felt  myself  each  day  weaker 
and  more  depressed. 

At  last,  on  Christmas-day,  a  report  was  circulated 
that  a  selection  was  to  be  made  of  the  naval  prisoners 
and  those  of  the  army  above  a  certain  rank,  for  transfer 
to  Richmond,  with  a  view  to  exchange.  It  seemed  too 
good  news  to  be  true. 

Next  day,  however,  we  were  mustered,  and  my  name 
was  read  out  as  included  among  those  who  were  to  go. 
When  my  name  was  called  the  commandant  of  pris- 
oners said,  "  I  have  a  great  mind  not  to  send  that 
of  a  runaway !" 

The  adjutant  said  something  in  a  low  voice,  to  which 

347 


348  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

the  commandant  replied,  "  Well,  let  the go, 

then,  and  be !" 

This  was  the  "  good-by  and  God-speed"  I  got  from 
Macon. 

We  had  no  baggage  to  pack,  and  I  could  not  bear 
to  look  into  the  faces  of  the  poor  fellows  who  were  to 
be  left  behind,  many  of  whom  could  never  hope  to  see 
their  homes  again,  and  so  I  was  very  glad  when  we 
were  marched  away,  some  two  hundred  in  number,  to 
take  the  train. 

From  Macon  we  went  by  Millen  to  Augusta,  thence 
to  Branchville,  and  across  South  Carolina  to  Wilming- 
ton, and  thence  to  Richmond. 

The  trip  took  about  a  week,  for  the  railroads  were 
in  wretched  condition,  and  crowded  with  trains  of 
ramshackle  old  cars.  Sometimes  we  were  delayed  for 
many  hours. 

The  weather  grew  very  cold  and  raw  as  we  went 
North,  and,  as  we  were  all  poorly  clad,  we  suffered  a 
good  deal  from  that  cause,  while  the  food  supplied  us 
was  not  only  scanty  and  poor,  but  we  often  went  as 
long  as  twenty-four  hours  without  any.  Probably, 
however,  this  could  not  be  helped. 

While  our  train  was  standing  at  the  station  at  Wil- 
mington, some  soldiers  of  a  South  Carolina  regiment 
came  upon  the  platform,  all  very  drunk.  They  com- 
menced hooting  and  abusing  us,  and  one  of  them  was 
flourishing  a  revolver,  threatening  to  "  lay  out  a  few 
Yanks"  with  it.  A  guard  soon  came  to  arrest  them, 
and  in  the  struggle  the  revolver  was  discharged,  the 
ball  going  through  the  window  of  the  car,  just  grazing 
my  shoulder,  and  cutting  off  three  fingers  of  an  officer 


/  AM  EXCHANGED,  AND  GET  HOME  AGAIN.     349 

who  sat  on  the  other  side  of  the  car.  This  added 
another  to  the  many  narrow  escapes  from  sudden  and 
violent  death,  for  which  I  have  to  be  thankful. 

By  the  time  we  readied  Richmond,  and  were  confined 
in  Libby  Prison,  I  was  completely  worn  out  and  really 
ill,  being  glad  to  lie  down  and  rest  on  the  floor,  under 
a  blanket  lent  me  by  a  good  Samaritan.  Seven  days 
in  a  wretched  car,  without  fire  or  proper  food,  and  with 
no  chance  to  lie  down  or  to  walk  about,  is  enough  to 
make  a  well  man  sick. 

A  doctor  in  the  prison  next  morning  gave  me  two 
opium  pills,  of  which  he  had  a  little  box  in  his  pocket, 
and  they  enabled  me  to  keep  up  sufficiently  to  march 
down  that  afternoon,  with  five  or  six  hundred  others, 
to  Aiken's  Landing.  Here  we  found  the  flag-of-truce 
boat  New  York  lying,  with  the  stars  and  stripes  flying. 
It  seemed  to  me  as  if  it  had  been  years  since  I  saw  the 
flag. 

The  business  of  the  exchange  occupied  some  time, 
during  which  we  shivered  on  the  bluff  in  the  cool  air 
of  the  January  evening ;  but  at  last  we  were  marched 
on  board,  and  I  found  myself  once  more  a  free  man. 

Then  I  broke  down  completely  and  realized  how  ill 
I  was.  The  doctors  detailed  to  take  charge  of  the  sick 
prisoners  were  very  kind,  considering  how  full  their 
hands  were,  and  I  was  given  a  mattress,  spread  on  deck, 
to  lie  upon,  and  two  blankets, — most  unaccustomed 
luxuries.  Then  I  was  given  some  medicine,  which 
eased  the  pain  and  put  me  to  sleep  for  several  hours. 
I  woke  up  before  daylight,  however,  and  remained 
awake,  as  the  people  in  charge  had,  unavoidably,  to 
step  over  me  to  get  at  others  lying  inside  of  me,  so 
30 


350  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

thickly  was  the  deck  covered  with  sick  and  weary 
men.  Several  died  in  the  course  of  the  night,  having 
apparently  mustered  their  energies  sufficiently  to  get 
down  to  the  boat  with  the  aid  of  comrades,  and  then 
succumbed  to  the  effects  of  the  exertion  and  excitement. 

Quite  early  in  the  morning  we  arrived  at  Fortress 
Monroe,  when  most  of  us  who  were  ill  were  transferred 
to  the  hospital-steamer  Spaulding,  and  sent  to  New 
York.  On  the  third  day  I  found  myself  in  my  old 
quarters,  the  naval  hospital  at  Brooklyn  j  but  this  time, 
being  an  officer,  I  had  a  private  room. 

The  doctor  said  I  had  dysentery  and  was  thoroughly 
broken  down  from  malarious  poison,  and  they  held  out 
no  hopes  of  my  being  fit  for  duty  for  six  months,  at 
least. 

But  I  was  soon  able  to  sit  up  a  little  and  to  write, 
when  I  reported  myself  by  letter  to  the  Navy  Depart- 
ment, and  had  my  account  taken  up  from  the  date  of 
my  capture.  It  appeared  that  I  was  considered  dead, 
having  been  reported  as  cut  off  and  killed  by  guerillas 
at  the  time  of  the  destruction  of  the  salt-works. 

My  old  friend,  the  skipper,  from  New  Haven,  came 
down  to  see  me  in  response  to  a  note,  and  seemed  over- 
joyed to  find  that  I  was  not  dead,  as  had  been  sup- 
posed. He  did  not  say  much,  for  he  was  a  very  taciturn 
person,  but  I  had  never  seen  him  so  much  moved  in 
all  our  long  acquaintance  as  he  was  when  he  first  saw 
rne,  so  pale,  thin,  and  haggard. 

While  sick  in  hospital  I  got  my  certificate  for  prize- 
money  from  the  Nighthawk,  and  found  myself,  what 
with  that  and  the  money  from  the  sale  of  my  turpen- 
tine and  rosin,  worth  more  than  twenty  thousand  dol- 


/  AM  EXCHANGED,  AND  GET  HOME  AGAIN.     351 

lars.  Beside  this,  I  had  yet  to  receive  my  share  of  the 
prize-money  coining  from  the  Suwanee,  which  would  be 
very  considerable. 

At  the  end  of  three  months,  when  the  spring  began 
to  open,  I  was  able  to  walk  about,  though  still  far  from 
well,  and,  as  the  hospital  was  very  much  crowded  and 
my  room  needed,  it  was  suggested  to  me  by  the  doctor 
in  charge  to  obtain  a  sick-leave.  This  was  readily 
granted,  arid  I  went  up  to  New  Haven,  where  I  slowly, 
but  steadily,  recovered  my  health. 

October  had  arrived  before  I  felt  able  to  go  upon 
duty  again.  When  I  reported  myself,  I  received  orders 
to  recruiting  duty  in  New  York.  Here  I  remained 
nearly  a  year,  often  travelling  in  charge  of  drafts  of 
men  to  Boston,  Philadelphia,  and  Washington,  and 
once  I  went  out  as  far  as  Cairo,  Illinois,  with  men  for 
the  Mississippi  flotilla.  When  I  had  completely  re- 
gained my  strength,  I  sat  down  and  made  an  applica- 
tion to  be  sent  to  a  sea-going  ship.  I  was  tired  of  shore 
duty,  and  especially  of  recruiting  duty,  which  is  always 
unpleasant,  and  never  more  so  than  at  the  time  of  which 
I  speak,  when  one  was  brought  into  daily  contact  with 
bounty-brokers,  bounty-jumpers,  crimps,  and  scoundrels 
of  all  sorts,  who  were  fattening  upon  the  robbery  of 
recruits,  who  were  receiving  the  large  State  and  county 
bounties  then  given. 

Almost  by  return  mail  I  received  my  orders  to  the 
New  Ironsides,  then  lying  at  Philadelphia,  having 
come  up  from  off  Charleston  for  repairs.  Going  on 
at  once,  I  reported,  finding  the  ship  almost  ready  for 
sea  again. 

The  Ironsides  was  an  ironclad,  barque-rigged,  mount- 


352  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

ing,  in  broadside,  fourteen  eleven-inch  guns  on  wrought- 
iron  carriages,  beside  two  one-hundred-and-fifty-pounder 
Parrott  rifles.  She  had  also,  on  her  spar-deck,  two 
sixty-pounder  rifles  and  two  howitzers. 

She  had  immense  beam  and  a  very  light  draft  of 
water,  so  that  she  could  carry  her  heavy  battery  into 
water  where  most  large  vessels  could  not  go.  Her  armor 
was  of  four-inch  iron  plates,  with  port  shutters  of  the 
same,  which  plates  were  much  indented  by  shot  thrown 
from  the  rebel  forts  at  Charleston. 

Carrying  a  large  complement  of  officers  and  men, 
and  handling  her  heavy  guns  with  almost  as  much  ease 
and  quickness  as  if  they  were  thirty -two-pounders,  she 
was  a  terror  to  all  rebel  forts,  for  once  in  position,  she 
could  pour  in  such  a  fire  of  shell  that  it  was  almost 
impossible  for  her  opponents  to  stand  at  their  guns. 
With  the  monitors  and  their  slow  fire  there  was  some 
chance  to  "cover,"  but  the  Ironsides,  when  once  at 
work,  generally  made  it  necessary  to  "  cover"  all  the 
time. 

Her  ends  were  not  armored,  and  they  had  been  often 
penetrated  by  shot,  but  no  one  had  ever  been  killed  on 
her  gun-deck  by  the  enemy's  fire,  during  the  many 
actions  in  which  she  had  participated  against  Forts 
Moultrie,  Sumter,  and  Wagner.  She  had  had  several 
narrow  escapes  from  destruction,  however.  During  one 
of  the  attacks  upon  the  forts  at  Charleston,  she  lay  for 
an  hour  right  over  an  immense  torpedo,  containing  two 
thousand  pounds  of  powder,  which  was  sunk  in  the 
main  ship  channel.  It  was  intended  to  be  exploded 
by  electricity,  but  providentially,  something  about  the 
wires  was  out  of  order,  and  the  charge  could  not  be 


I  AM  EXCHANGED,  AND  GET  HOME  AGAIN.     353 

exploded,  and  finally,  after  doing  her  work,  the  good 
old  ship  moved  off  unscathed. 

On  another  occasion,  when  lying  off  the  bar,  she  was 
approached  after  dark  by  a  cigar-shaped  torpedo  steamer, 
called  a  "  David,"  which  was  suddenly  discovered  run- 
ning straight  for  her  broadside.  The  officer  of  the 
deck,  an  acting  ensign,  jumped  on  the  rail  to  hail  the 
stranger,  when  he  was  shot  by  a  musket,  in  the  hands 
of  the  person  who  was  directing  the  torpedo-boat.  At 
the  next  instant  the  torpedo  itself  was  exploded  along- 
side the  ship,  shaking  her  very  much,  knocking  people 
down,  and  starting  some  knees  and  stanchions,  but  not 
causing  any  material  leak. 

The  torpedo-boat  sank;  and  her  manager,  an  ex- 
lieutenant  in  the  navy,  named  Glassell,  swam  to  a 
schooner  at  anchor  near  by,  and  was  made  a  prisoner. 

In  most  steamers  the  great  hole  for  outboard  delivery 
is  about  amidships,  on  the  starboard  side,  and  just  below 
the  water.  In  the  Ironsides  it  happened  to  be  upon 
the  port  side ;  and  this  saved  her,  for  if  Glassell  had 
managed  to  insert  his  torpedo  in  the  outboard  delivery, 
he  must  have  sunk  the  ship,  with  all  on  board.  He 
steered  straight  enough  for  the  place, — being  guided  by 
the  smoke-stack, — and  was  only  baffled  by  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  machinery,  which  was  the  reverse  of  that 
which  was  usual. 

The  engines  and  boilers  of  the  Ironsides  were  very 
fine,  but,  unfortunately,  they  had  not  power  enough  for 
the  great  mass  of  wood  and  iron  in  which  they  were 
placed,  and  would  only  drive  her  six  knots  under  the 
most  favorable  circumstances.  Her  steering  apparatus, 
too,  was  always  getting  out  of  order,  as  she  had  a  curi- 

30* 


354  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

ously-contrived  rudder,  which  was  fashioned  like  a 
double  flap,  or  folding  shutter,  and  which  was  intended 
to  double  upon  itself,  something  like  the  tail  of  a  fish. 

But  we  should  not  complain  of  defects,  for,  in  spite 
of  them,  she  did  her  work  nobly. 

The  greater  part  of  her  crew  had  been  in  her  when 
off  Charleston,  but  we  had  a  number  of  newly-enlisted 
"  whitewashed  rebs"  among  the  landsmen. 

This  term  was  applied  to  men  who  had  been  made 
prisoners  while  fighting  in  the  Confederate  ranks,  had 
taken  the  oath  of  allegiance,  and  then  enlisted  in  the 
navy,  as  they  there  ran  less  danger  of  recapture  than 
in  the  army. 

I  have  seen  these  men,  when  brought  to  New  York 
from  our  prison  camps  in  the  West,  dressed  in  the  same 
butternut-dyed  homespun  clothes  in  which  they  had  been 
working  on  their  farms  when  impressed,  or  conscripted. 

A  few  weeks  only,  in  some  instances,  had  elapsed 
between  the  time  when  they  were  ploughing  in  North 
Carolina  or  Georgia  and  their  finding  themselves  in 
New  York, — landsmen  in  the  navy, — having,  in  the 
mean  time,  participated  in  some  battle,  and  passed  to 
the  North  as  prisoners.  Most  of  them  had  never  seen, 
and  scarcely  heard  of,  salt  water,  and  groups  of  them 
frequently  gathered  on  the  cob-dock,  dipping  the  fagged 
end  of  a  hawser  into  the  East  River,  and  then  tasting 
it  with  great  gravity,  to  see  "  if  it  was  sure-enough 
salt." 

As  soon  as  our  repairs  were  completed  we  sailed  for 
Hampton  Roads,  arriving  there  about  the  middle  of 
October.  On  the  passage  the  ship  surprised  every  one 
who  had  not  been  in  her  before  by  her  liveliness  in  a 


/  AM  EXCHANGED,  AND  GET  HOME  AGAIN.     355 

sea-way.  In  fact,  on  account  of  her  flat  floor  and  light 
draft,  she  required  a  great  weight  of  coal  and  ammu- 
nition to  give  her  that  sedateness  of  motion  which  was 
consistent  with  her  severe  and  ponderous  appearance. 

Many  persons  on  board  were  very  sea-sick,  and  our 
ex-rebel  landsmen  seemed  especially  to  suffer  upon 
making  their  first  acquaintance  with  sea-life. 

Hampton  Roads  at  this  time  was  as  busy  and  crowded 
as  any  first-class  commercial  port,  but  no  vessel  there 
was  on  a  peaceful  errand.  Beside  our  own  armed 
vessels, — frigates,  monitors,  sloops-of-war,  and  nonde- 
scripts,— there  were  always  some  foreign  men-of-war, 
mostly  English  and  French.  There  were  also  crowds 
of  steam-  and  sailing-transports,  with  coal,  powder, 
shell,  provisions,  and  soldiers. 

It  was  well  understood  that  the  powerful  fleet  col- 
lecting here  was  to  attack  some  important  stronghold, 
which  could  be  no  other  than  Fort  Fisher,  on  Federal 
Point,  at  the  eastern  entrance  of  the  Cape  Fear  River. 
At  this  period  of  the  war  the  principal  infractions  of 
the  blockade  took  place  here,  the  other  ports  being 
either  in  our  possession  or  effectually  closed.  To  guard 
both  entrances  of  the  Cape  Fear  a  space  of  sixty  miles 
had  to  be  patrolled ;  and  although  a  very  large  force 
was  stationed  here,  the  blockade-runners,  swift,  low 
vessels,  commanded  by  daring  and  skilful  men,  would 
slip  in,  in  spite  of  every  exertion. 

Once  under  the  guns  of  Fort  Fisher  they  could 
laugh  at  the  cruisers,  and  choose  their  time  to  pick 
their  way  over  the  dangerous  bar,  the  tortuous  channel 
of  which  did  not,  at  the  best  tides,  give  much  more 
than  eleven  feet.  Yet  this  has  been  the  entrance  and 


356  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

exit  of  many  millions  of  dollars'  worth  of  stores  and 
cotton  during  the  war. 

It  was,  therefore,  all-important  to  close  this  river, 
and  to  do  so  we  must  take  Fort  Fisher,  when  Fort 
Caswell  and  the  other  forts  and  batteries  would  fall  of 
themselves. 

From  Hampton  Roads  the  Ironsides  went  up  to 
Norfolk  (long  before  captured  by  our  forces),  and 
moored  at  the  old  navy-yard.  Here  the  effects  of  war 
were  manifest  in  the  destruction  by  fire  of  the  splendid 
store-  and  ship-houses  and  shops,  and  the  blowing  up 
of  the  fine  docks,  while  in  the  river  were  sunk  the 
hulks  of  several  well-known  men-of-war. 

We  stripped  the  ship  of  all  spars  except  the  lower 
masts,  putting  her  in  "fighting  trim,"  and  then,  after 
coaling,  went  down  to  the  magazine  at  Fort  Norfolk 
to  fill  up  our  huge  magazines  with  powder,  shot,  and 
shell.  We  also  filled  twenty-five  hundred  bread-bags 
with  sand,  which  were  placed  upon  our  spar-deck,  to 
protect  us  from  a  plunging  fire.  This  involved  no 
small  amount  of  labor,  for  large  bags  of  sand  are  very 
hard  to  handle. 

While  in  Norfolk  several  of  our  ex-rebel  lands- 
men, who  had  taken  the  oath  and  regularly  enlisted, 
deserted.  Upon  strict  search  being  made  in  the  town, 
some  of  them  were  found  secreted  by  certain  "  widows 
of  Confederates,"  some  of  whom  had  also  "  taken  the 
oath,"  and  were  drawing  rations.  I  never  heard  that 
the  persons  who  secreted  these  deserters  were  punished 
in  any  way,  but  the  renegade  deserters  were,  in  several 
instances,  sentenced  to  pass  a  few  years  wearing  a  ball 
and  chain  at  that  secluded  post,  the  Dry  Tortugas. 


I  AM  EXCHANGED,  AND  GET  HOME  AGAIN.     357 

We  soon  returned  to  Hampton  Roads,  where  drill, 
target-firing,  and  boat  exercise  was  the  order  of  the 
day. 

The  weather  became  wintry  and  bad,  but  still  we 
did  not  move,  and  it  began  to  be  rumored  that  we 
were  waiting  for  some  infernal  machine,  or  powder- 
boat,  to  be  finished,  which  had  been  conceived  in  the 
fertile  brain  of  General  Butler. 

This  was  to  be  run  in  at  night  close  under  the  walls* 
of  Fort  Fisher,  and  then  exploded,  when  the  walls  of 
the  fort  were  to  crumble  more  promptly  than  those  of 
Jericho,  and  the  garrison  was  to  be  so  completely 
stunned  as  to  allow  us,  next  morning,  to  walk  into 
'the  fort. 

At  last  everything  was  ready.  General  Butler  was 
to  command  the  troops  which  had  come  down  the  James 
River,  packed  in  the  transports,  like  herrings  in  casks. 

On  the  13th  of  December  we  sailed  from  Hampton 
Roads,  and  a  fine  sight  it  was  to  see  the  fleet  of  iron- 
clads, sloops-of-war,  frigates,  and  transports  at  sea 
together. 

Next  day  we  got  round  Hatteras  and  hauled  up  to 
cross  the  bight  (or  Onslow  Bay)  to  Cape  Lookout, 
under  which  the  large  vessels  anchored,  while  the 
monitors,  transports,  and  small  craft  went  into  Beau- 
fort. Here  we  remained  until  the  18th,  when  the  fleet 
got  under  way  again  for  the  rendezvous,  which  was 
twenty  miles  east  ot  New  Inlet.  Here  we  anchored 
literally  at  sea,  and  in  a  position  where  in  peace  times 
it  would  have  been  thought  foolhardy  to  remain  at  that 
season  of  the  year. 

Fogs,  gales,  heavy  seas,  and  every  kind  of  weather 


358  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

but  good  weather  prevailed  for  the  next  week.  The 
vessels,  and  especially  the  ironclads,  though  making 
good  weather  and  in  no  real  danger,  were  half  under 
water,  wet,  and  uncomfortable.  It  was,  most  curious 
and  interesting  to  see  the  little  monitors,  at  anchor  out 
of  sight  of  land,  steaming  up  to  their  anchors.  Often 
submerged  completely  by  huge  seas,  with  only  the  tops 
of  the  turret  and  smoke-stack  appearing,  they  resem- 
•beld  rocks  awash. 

Well  tired  of  such  dull  and  disagreeable  work,  every 
one  was  glad  when  the  final  orders  came  for  the  attack. 

A  day  or  two  before  there  had  appeared  among  the 
fleet  the  powder-boat  for  the  much-talked-of  explosion. 
This  vessel  was  the  steamer  Louisiana,  a  purchased 
vessel  of  light  draft,  which  had  been  used  as  a  gun- 
boat, and  was  now  altered  into  a  huge  torpedo.  About 
two  hundred  tons  of  powder  had  been  placed  on  board, 
and  ingenious  means  devised  to  fire  it.  The  vessel  was 
painted  lead  color  all  over,  and  even  her  officers  wore 
lead-colored  tarpaulins,  and  a  false  smoke-stack  was 
mounted  in  addition  to  the  genuine  one;  so  that  in 
general  appearance,  and  especially  at  night,  she  very 
much  resembled  the  English  blockade-runners. 

The  fleet  had  a  great  respect  for  this  dangerous 
neighbor,  and  once  when  she  parted  her  cable  in  the 
heavy  sea,  and  came  drifting  down  upon  the  Ironsides, 
every  one  was  in  a  rather  anxious  state  until  it  was 
certain  she  would  go  clear  of  us,  for  we  were  not 
desirous  of  rasping  our  iron  sides  against  such  a  maga- 
zine of  powder. 


CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

THE   FIRST   BATTLE   OF   FORT   FISHER. 

ON  the  23d  of  December  the  weather  at  last  became 
settled,  clear,  and  cold,  with  light  airs  off  shore. 

The  powder-boat  was  sent  in,  and  exploded  about 
two  in  the  morning,  making  a  report  which  seemed  to 
us,  some  miles  off,  as  not  greater  than  two  fifteen-inch 
guns  fired  together.  As  I  have  said,  it  was  supposed 
by  some  persons  that  the  explosion  would  either  kill 
or  paralyze  the  whole  of  the  enemy's  garrison.  But 
its  result  was  nil, — a  waste  of  time  and  money, — so 
far  as  we  were  able  to  take  Advantage  of  it.  We 
heard  afterwards  that  it  did  cause  some  consternation, 
and  had  an  assaulting  force  been  in  front  of  the  fort 
at  that  moment,  it  would  perhaps  have  met  with  but 
little  opposition.  But  so  little  was  the  explosion  sup- 
posed to  be  an  act  of  war,  that  it  was  reported  next 
day,  in  the  Wilmington  papers,  that  a  "Federal"  cruiser 
chasing  a  blockade-runner  in  under  Fort  Fisher  had 
got  on  shore  and  been  blown  up,  to  prevent  her  from 
falling  into  the  Confederate  hands. 

In  fact,  a  blockade-runner  did  go  in  that  night  just 
ahead  of  the  Louisiana,  the  officers  of  which  latter 
vessel  availed  themselves  of  her  pilotage.  She  had 
coolly  passed  under  the  very  noses  of  our  numerous 
men-of-war  and  got  in,  the  garrison  also  showing 

359 


360  THIRTY  TEARS  AT  SEA. 

range-lights  to  guide  in  the  powder-boat,  thinking  she 
was  one  of  the  same  sort,  as  they  well  might.  Some- 
times these  blockade-runners  would  make  the  land 
many  miles  to  the  northward,  and  then  run  in  close  to 
the  breakers,  when,  trusting  to  their  color  and  the  dark- 
ness for  concealment,  they  would  run  down  along  the 
beach  close  to  the  surf,  until  New  Inlet  was  reached. 

Indeed,  every  trick  and  dodge  was  tried  by  them ; 
and  although  a  great  many  fine  and  fast  vessels  were 
captured  or  destroyed  by  the  blockading  force,  yet 
many  made  successful  runs,  enough  to  repay  their 
owners  well  for  their  outfit,  and  leave  something  very 
handsome  over.  In  their  construction  everything  was 
sacrificed  to  speed  and  power,  so  that  they  were,  as 
Jack  says,  "  Like  a  spider-crab,  all  arms  and  legs." 
When  we  caught  any  of  them,  they  were  purchased  by 
the  Navy  Department,  armed,  and  set  to  chasing  their 
former  partners,  on  the  principle  "  set  a  thief  to  catch 
a  thief." 

The  morning  of  December  24th  was  fine,  with  a 
light  northwest  wind,  and  smooth  sea.  Galley-fires 
were  lighted  early  throughout  the  fleet,  and  every  one 
had  breakfast  before  daylight,  for  the  bombardment 
was  ordered  to  commence  at  once.  After  various  de- 
lays, caused  by  vessels  not  forming  line  promptly,  we 
stood  in  and  anchored  off  the  fort,  commencing  the 
bombardment  about  noon. 

The  Ironsides  led  the  fleet  in,  and  it  was  a  splendid 
sight  to  see  each  vessel  in  her  turn  follow  in  and  as- 
sume her  allotted  station,  opening  fire  as  her  guns  bore. 

I  suppose  that  so  severe  a  fire  was  never  concentrated 
upon  any  fort  before,  and  the  return  was  not  very  brisk  ; 


THE  FIRST  BATTLE  OF  FORT  FISHER.       361 

indeed,  it  could  not  be,  from  barbette  guns  under  such  a 
storm  of  shell. 

A  few  heavy  shot  struck  us,  but  the  fort  devoted 
most  of  its  fire  to  the  wooden  vessels.  Most  of  those 
which  struck  us  cut  away  our  rail  and  lower  rigging, 
and  dashed  about  the  sand-bags  on  our  spar-deck.  But 
one  ten-inch  solid  shot  came  in  our  unarmored  end, 
forward,  driving  before  it  an  air-port,  with  its  heavy 
iron  stem  and  lead  casing.  It  then  entered  the  sick- 
bay, made  a  general  smash  of  the  contents  of  the  dis- 
pensary, and  was  deflected  by  a  barricade  of  hammocks. 
Then  it  just  cleared  a  cot  in  which  was  lying  the  dead 
body  of  a  marine,  who  had  died  just  before  we  went 
into  action,  and  finally  embedded  itself  in  the  oak 
water-way. 

At  sunset  we  all  drew  off  out  of  range,  and  anchored 
for  the  night.  All  hands  got  something  to  eat,  and 
then  we  buried  the  marine  whose  body  the  ten-inch 
shot  had  so  curiously  spared.  After  this  the  watch  was 
set,  and  every  one  who  could  went  to  sleep. 

We  now  knew  what  Fort  Fisher  looked  like,  but  it 
was  very  hard  to  tell  what  damage  we  had  done  to  it, 
for  earthworks  are  very  hard  things  to  injure  by  any 
amount  of  hammering,  and  Fort  Fisher  proved  to  be  a 
tremendous  earthwork. 

That  night,  just  as  our  weary  ship's  company  had 
got  to  sleep,  the  drum  beat  to  quarters,  upon  an  alarm 
of  a  torpedo-boat  approaching  us.  After  a  considerable 
time  it  was  discovered  that  the  thing  was  a  ship's  boat, 
bottom  up  and  adrift,  and  her  round  bottom,  lapped 
by  the  ripple,  was  very  much  like  the  rounded  hull 
of  the  "  David"  torpedo-boats,  which  the  rebels  were 
Q  31 


362  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

then  using.  It  was  provoking,  but  it  at  least  showed 
that  our  sentries  had  good  eyes. 

The  next  day,  Christmas,  was  fine  and  mild,  and 
we  stood  in  and  opened  fire  again  about  half-past  ten, 
just  as  the  good  people  at  home  were  going  to  church. 
We  soon  got  into  very  sharp  work,  the  fleet  being 
answered  by  the  fort  much  better  than  the  day  before. 

During  the  forenoon  the  transport  fleet  approached, 
and  began  to  land  troops  on  the  beach  two  miles  or 
more  from  the  fort.  After  a  considerable  body  had 
been  landed,  at  about  three  o'clock,  they  began  to  move 
down  towards  the  fort;  but  we  soon  saw  that  they  did 
not  intend  to  fight  that  night,  and  were  only  picketing 
and  skirmishing. 

At  dusk  all  the  vessels  retired  from  range  except  the 
ironclads,  which  were  ordered  to  keep  fast. 

The  crews  of  these  vessels  were  more  fagged  out 
than  any  of  the  others,  not  only  because  we  had  kept 
up  a  more  constant  fire, — beginning  first  and  last  to 
cease, — but  from  the  construction  of  the  vessels,  the 
heavy  guns,  and  the  fact  that  we  were  firing  against  the 
wind,  the  men's  eyes  and  throats  were  more  affected 
by  the  powder-smoke. 

The  concussion  from  the  heavy  eleven-inch  guns  on 
our  low,  covered  deck  was  very  troublesome.  The 
eleven-inch  has  a  mellow,  pealing  sound  as  compared 
with  the  sharp  report  of  smaller  guns ;  but,  of  course, 
the  volume  of  sound  is  much  greater.  The  blast  and 
concussion  was  driven  inboard  by  the  breeze,  and  many 
of  the  spongers  were  temporarily  blinded  by  the  rush 
of  hot  sulphurous  air  when  loading  and  firing  rapidly. 
Very  few  complained,  however,  or  left  their  stations. 


THE  FIRST  BATTLE  OF  FORT  FISHER.       363 

The  next  day  the  weather  had  changed,  and  there 
was  a  southeast  swell.  The  fleet  did  not  renew  the 
attack  upon  the  fort,  but  the  troops  were  skirmishing 
in  the  woods  with  some  forces  from  Wilmington,  and 
the  gunboats  were  shelling  the  bush  at  intervals. 
Everything  seemed  uncertain,  and  waiting  for  the  gen- 
eral on  shore  to  make  up  his  mind. 

It  was  finally  decided  by  the  military  commander 
that  the  assault  was  not  feasible,  and  the  attack  was 
abandoned.  Many  competent  judges  believe  that  the 
fort  would  have  yielded  to  assault  on  that  day,  much 
more  readily  than  it  did  three  weeks  afterwards;  but  it 
was  not  to  be. 

On  the  27th  the  weather  was  fine,  and  the  troops 
re-embarked,  the  transports  moving  off  for  Hampton 
Roads  as  fast  as  they  were  loaded ;  while  the  naval 
vessels  for  the  most  part  anchored  in  the  offing,  and 
replenished  their  ammunition  and  stores  from  store- 
vessels. 

In  the  afternoon  the  rebel  garrison,  interested  spec- 
tators of  our  proceedings,  and  hardly  able  to  credit  the 
evidence  o€  their  own  eyes,  fired  a  salute,  about  as 
aggravating  a  thing  as  they  could  do  under  the  circum- 
stances. 

It  was  but  little  consolation  to  reflect  that  it  was  no 
fault  of  the  navy,  or  of  the  brave  troops  which  had 
been  brought  so  far  for  nothing.  The  expedition,  which 
had  been  so  long  in  preparing,  and  which  had  set  out 
with  such  a  flourish  of  trumpets,  had  failed. 

On  the  28th  of  December  we  had  mild  weather,  but 
heavy  showers,  with  a  strong  swell  setting  in,  and  we 
all  sailed  for  our  first  rendezvous,  the  bight  under  Cape 


364  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

Lookout.  The  ship  was  so  light,  from  having  fired 
away  nearly  two  thousand  three  hundred  rounds  of 
shell,  that  we  were  obliged  to  get  a  number  of  the  sand- 
bags below  to  steady  her. 

On  the  29th  we  anchored  in  the  bight,  and  remained 
there  until  the  12th  of  January,  having  a  succession  of 
gales,  with  heavy  seas,  during  one  of  which  we  lost  an 
anchor,  and  one  hundred  fathoms  of  chain,  and  came 
very  near  going  into  the  breakers  and  being  lost.  Some 
of  the  vessels  put  to  sea  to  ride  it  out,  but  we  were 
obliged  to  lie  still  and  make  the  best  weather  we  could. 
The  ship  was  wet  all  the  time,  rolling  heavily,  and 
everybody  most  disgusted  and  uncomfortable.  During 
the  few  moderate  spells  we  managed  to  fill  up  with 
shell  and  coal  from  the  store-schooners,  and  we  now 
learned  that  we  were  not  to  give  it  up  so,  but  were  to  try 
conclusions  with  Fort  Fisher  again,  the  troops,  this 
time,  being  under  the  command  of  General  Terry. 

So,  on  the  12th  of  January  we  sailed  once  more  for 
New  Inlet  with  a  northwest  wind  and  smooth  sea,  the 
transports  with  troops  being  in  close  company,  and 
every  one  seeming  to  feel  that  this  time -we  meant 
business.  It  was  really  a  great  relief  to  feel  that  we 
were  to  have  another  chance,  with  proper  co-operation. 

On  the  13th,  early  in  the  morning,  we  led  the  fleet 
in  once  more,  and  began  pounding  away  at  the  huge 
earthwork,  the  troops  in  the  mean  time  landing  on  the 
beach  above.  Our  fire  was  returned  briskly,  cutting 
us  up,  somewhat,  and  it  was  evident  that  they  had  re- 
ceived reinforcements,  and  had  mounted  more  heavy 
guns.  A  water-battery,  with  naval  guns,  was  especially 
active  and  spiteful. 


THE  FIRST  BATTLE  OF  FORT  FISHER.       365 

During  this  day's  engagement  we  were  much  amused 
with  the  conduct  of  a  game-cock,  a  great  pet  among 
the  men.  On  previous  days  he  had  been  carefully  put 
away  below,  but  this  time  he  had  escaped  from  durance 
vile,  and  promenaded  the  spar-deck,  fluttering  his  wings 
and  crowing  loudly,  and  apparently  enjoying  the  roar 
of  the  battle.  By  nightfall  he  was  as  hoarse  and  husky 
as  some  of  the  division  officers,  and  had  one  or  two  very 
narrow  escapes  from  shot  and  splinters. 

We  ceased  fire  at  dark,  and  were  ordered  to  retain 
our  position;  but  about  ten  o'clock  we  had  to  shift  our 
berth,  as  the  fort  had  obtained  our  range  before  dark, 
and  occasionally  during  the  evening  would  pitch  a  ten- 
inch  shot  uncomfortably  near  us. 

Some  of  the  smaller  vessels,  which  had  heavy  guns, 
fired  at  intervals  during  the  night,  to  prevent  the  enemy 
from  repairing  damages,  which  were  much  greater  than 
in  our  bombardment  in  December,  several  fires  having 
occurred  during  the  day  within  the  fort. 

The  14th  of  January  broke  clear  and  fine,  with  a 
smooth  beach.  We  went  in  closer  than  ever,  in  fact, 
until  we  were  barely  afloat,  and  recommenced  the  bom- 
bardment about  eight  o'clock.  About  this  time  rein- 
forcements were  thrown  into  the  fort  from  Wilmington, 
by  a  steamer  which  came  down  the  Cape  Fear  River, 
and  both  sides  were  girding  up  their  loins  for  the 
final  struggle. 

At  eleven  o'clock,  the  troops  being  all  landed  and 
entrenched  on  shore  among  some  scrubby  woods,  the 
storm  ing-party  of  sailors  and  marines  from  the  fleet 
pulled  for  the  beach,  and  were  soon  through  the  slight 
surf  and  established  on  the  dry  land.  The  ironclad 

31* 


366  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

division  sent  no  men  to  the  storm  ing-party,  as  these 
vessels  were  to  keep  up  a  deliberate  fire  as  occasion  re- 
quired, or  to  open  on  the  fort  again,  in  case  our  men 
were  repulsed. 

At  this  time  I  was  ordered  to  take  position  in  our 
main-top,  and  to  keep  my  glass  upon  the  operations  on 
shore  and  report  events  as  they  occurred. 

From  this  position  I  had  a  view  which  could  not  be 
finer,  it  being  as  if  a  mimic  contest  on  a  stage,  and  I 
a  spectator  looking  down  from  the  boxes. 

About  half-past  two  the  naval  column  was  ready  to 
advance,  after  having  thrown  up  some  rifle-pits  in  the 
sand,  and  the  firing  from  the  fleet  suddenly  ceased  by 
signal ;  the  quiet  after  such  continued  uproar  seeming 
something  unnatural.  The  column  moved  along  the 
beach  by  the  flank,  with  the  intention  of  assaulting  or 
boarding  the  sea-face  of  the  work.  This  was  very 
steep  and  high,  and  was  difficult  for  an  unarmed  man 
to  climb,  quite  as  much  so  as  any  railroad  embankment 
of  forty  feet  height. 

As  the  fire  from  the  fleet  ceased,  the  garrison  came 
out  of  their  bomb-proofs  in  a  swarm,  and  manning  the 
parapet  of  the  sea-face,  shot  down  our  men  as  if  they 
were  partridges  in  a  covey.  Those  who  manned  the 
parapet  appeared  only  to  fire,  while  loaded  pieces  were 
handed  them  by  others  in  the  rear. 

The  beach  was  soon  strewn  with  the  dead  and 
wounded,  for  there  was  no  natural  protection,  and 
some  of  the  wounded  staggered  into  the  surf,  and  fall- 
ing, were  unable  to  get  out  of  the  water  without  assist- 
ance. A  few  of  the  men,  with  many  of  the  officers, 
reached  the  foot  of  the  mound,  where  there  was  a  heavy 


THE  FIRST  BATTLE  OF  FORT  FISHER.       367 

palisade,  but  could  go  no  farther,  while  the  bulk  of  the 
naval  force  retreated  down  the  beach,  losing  heavily, 
as  they  did  so,  from  the  deliberate  "pot-shots"  of  the 
enemy.  Those  who  had  reached  a  place  of  partial 
shelter,  at  the  foot  of  the  sea-face  of  the  fort,  were 
forced  to  crouch  there  until  approaching  darkness  and 
hard  fighting  on  the  flank  of  the  defences  drew  the 
garrison  off,  and  enabled  our  people  to  steal  away. 

The  losses  were  very  heavy.  Twenty-one  of  officers 
alone,  from  the  navy,  were  killed  and  wounded,  and,  as 
far  as  the  assault  went,  the  naval  attack  was  a  failure. 
But  the  lives  lost  were  not  utterly  thrown  away,  for 
the  naval  attack  made  a  diversion,  drawing  the  garrison 
to  the  sea-face,  and  distracting  their  attention  from  the 
movements  of  the  troops. 

Soon  after  the  naval  attack,  and  about  the  time  it 
was  evident  that  it  was  not  to  succeed,  there  emerged 
from  temporary  earthworks  and  from  the  fringe  of 
scrub  wood,  above  the  fort,  a  line  of  battle  composed 
of  veterans  from  the  James  River.  Rough  and  weather- 
worn as  to  faces  and  uniforms,  but  with  ranks  dressed 
and  aligned  as  if  on  parade,  without  beat  of  drum  and 
with  arms  at  "  right  shoulder  shift,"  they  proceeded  at 
a  double-quick  across  the  sandy  plain  which  intervened 
between  them  and  the  huge  mamelons  which  formed 
the  land-side  of  the  fort,  at  right  angles  with  the  beach. 

I  think  I  never  saw  a  more  magnificent  sight.  A 
few  patches  of  salt  grass,  or  dried  rushes,  were  scattered 
over  the  plain,  but  there  was  nothing  high  enough  to 
obstruct  the  view. 

The  garrison  of  the  fort  opened  on  the  assaulting 
force  with  musketry  as  soon  as  they  came  within  range, 


368  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

while  a  howitzer  (run  out  from  a  sally-port  to  fire,  and 
then  withdrawn  to  load)  cut  gaps  in  the  advancing 
line  at  each  discharge.  Two  field-pieces  at  the  west- 
ern angle  also  began  to  fire  at  the  advancing  troops, 
but  were  soon  silenced  by  shell  from  the  ironclads; 
but  the  one  in  the  sally-port  could  not  be  hit,  owing  to 
the  protection  of  the  covered  way. 

Not  a  shot  was  returned  by  our  men.  The  line 
curved  sometimes,  as  the  grape  from  the  howitzer  tore 
through  it,  but  the  officers  would  spring  to  the  front, 
steady  the  men,  and  the  gap  was  soon  closed.  The 
officers  then  fell  into  their  places,  and  the  line  swept 
on  without  a  pause,  but  leaving  many  a  poor  fellow 
behind,  with  the  salt  sand  drinking  in  his  life's  blood. 

Soon  they  reached  the  foot  of  the  huge  earthworks ; 
and  the  axes  were  seen  to  gleam,  as  the  strong  palisade, 
already  shattered  by  the  bombardment,  was  cleared 
away. 

The  fire  of  small  arms  was  growing  sharper  and 
sharper  all  the  time,  and  now  the  assailants  begin  to 
respond.  At  last  our  men  are  through  the  obstruction, 
and  we  see  them  and  their  colors  on  one  of  the  western 
mamelons,  their  outlines  sharply  defined  against  the 
clear  western  sky. 

A  sharp  fight  takes  place  for  the  first  traverse, — men, 
killed  or  wounded,  roll  down  the  steep  incline.  The 
yells  and  shouts  grow  louder,  and  then  comes  a  rush 
down, — a  pell-mell  struggle, — and  we  see  the  colors 
slowly  rise,  and  finally  gain  the  top  of  the  next  mound. 
Here  the  same  determined  resistance  and  close  fighting 
goes  on ;  to  be  followed  by  another  cheer,  another  rush, 
and  the  taking  of  the  next  point. 


THE  FIRST  BATTLE  OF  FORT  FISHER.       369 

At  this  time  General  Terry  signalled  to  our  ship  to 
fire  into  the  traverses  ahead  of  the  assaulting  troops, 
and  afterwards  signalled  again  to  say,  "  Just  right ;  you 
are  throwing  your  shell  just  where  they  are  needed." 
Pretty  fair  practice,  this !  where  a  deviation  of  a  few 
yards  to  the  right  would  have  made  the  difference  be- 
tween shelling  the  enemy  and  shelling  our  own  people. 

The  sun  went  down,  and  the  winter  night  closed  in, 
while  this  desperate  infantry  fight  was  still  going  on. 
At  dusk  our  ship  was  obliged  to  cease  firing,  as  we 
could  no  longer  distinguish  between  friends  and  foes. 
We  waited,  fearfully  anxious,  but  hopeful,  listening 
eagerly  to  the  sounds  of  the  fight  now  advancing  ob- 
liquely towards  us,  the  opposing  troops  fighting  hand 
to  hand  in  the-  darkness,  only  guided  in  their  fire  by 
the  flashes  of  their  muskets. 

Finally,  about  ten  o'clock,  there  was  a  tremendous 
peal  of  cheers,  and  then  the  tide  of  battle  swept  sud- 
denly away  through  the  fort  and  down  towards  the 
point,  where  the  remaining  garrison,  to  the  number 
of  about  nineteen  hundred,  laid  down  their  arms,  and 
surrendered. 

The  fact  was  at  once  telegraphed  to  the  fleet  by  sig- 
nal-lanterns, and  round  after  round  of  hearty  cheers 
went  up  from  every  ship.  The  weary,  smoke-begrimed 
crews  then  turned  in,  satisfied  that  at  last  their  perse- 
verance in  braving  the  perils  of  our  coast,  in  winter, 
had  been  rewarded  by  complete  success. 

The  "  impregnable"  Fort  Fisher  was  taken, — a  place 
pronounced  by  those  who  had  seen  both  to  be  much 
stronger  than  the  Malakoff.  The  Cape  Fear  River,  the 
grand  blockade-runners'  port,  was  effectually  closed,  and 


370  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

the  Confederacy  at  last  completely  isolated.  How  con- 
siderable and  important  were  the  supplies  introduced 
by  this  channel  may  be  known  when  we  remember 
the  fact  that  General  Lee  had  telegraphed  "  that  Fort 
Fisher  must  be  held  at  any  cost,  otherwise  he  must 
evacuate  Richmond." 


CHAPTER   XXXIV. 

THE  END  OP  THE  WAR, — AND  OF  MY  NAVAL 
SERVICE. 

EVERY  one  was  up  with  the  sun,  next  morning,  to 
find  our  colors  hoisted  on  the  fort,  and  gunboats  and 
"  double-enders"  already  working  their  way  through 
the  intricate  and  shallow  channels  of  the  bar,  to  reach 
the  Cape  Fear  River,  where,  for  the  next  few  days, 
they  were  busy  in  capturing  and  occupying  forts  and 
batteries,  and  in  sweeping  the  channel  for  torpedoes. 

While  we  were  standing  on  deck  looking  at  the 
scene,  a  terrible  explosion  occurred  within  the  fort. 
Masses  of  earth  and  timber  and  bodies  of  men  were  sent 
high  into  the  air,  and  a  dense  balloon-shaped  cloud  of 
powder-smoke  hung  for  many  minutes  over  the  spot. 
The  magazine  in  the  fort  had  blown  up.  No  one  ever 
knew  or  ever  will  know  how  it  happened. 

There  were  rumors  of  trains  laid  by  the  garrison  to 
be  fired  in  case  of  our  success,  while  others  talked  of 
careless  and  drunken  soldiers,  or  contrabands,  explor- 
ing with  candles  and  torches;  but  it  was  all  surmise. 

It  is  altogether  probable  that  had  the  garrison  in- 
tended to  blow  up  the  magazine,  they  would  have  done 
so  immediately  after  our  men  had  made  their  success- 
ful assault,  and  entered  the  work.  Many  officers  and 
seamen  from  the  fleet,  who  had  been  led  by  curiosity  to 
enter  the  fort,  lost  their  lives  in  this  explosion,  their 
fate  being  for  the  most  part  inferred  from  the  fact  that 

371 


372  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

they  were  missing,  and  that  their  bodies  were  not  found 
among  those  killed  in  the  assault. 

Soon  after  the  explosion  the  Ironsides  was  ordered 
to  haul  off  to  a  safer  anchorage,  and  to  the  great  joy  of 
all  to  heave  overboard  the  mass  of  sand  which  had  so 
long  encumbered  our  spar-deck.  Many  of  the  bags 
had  rotted,  and  others  had  been  torn  to  pieces  by  shot, 
so  that  our  deck  looked  more  like  a  ragged  piece  of 
waste  ground  than  the  white  and  spotless  promenade 
usually  to  be  seen  on  a  man-of-war.  There  was  an- 
other good  reason  for  getting  rid  of  our  sand.  We 
had,  in  the  two  bombardments,  fired  nearly  four  thou- 
sand rounds,  and  our  shell-room  and  magazine  being 
nearly  empty,  the  sand  on  the  upper  deck  made  her 
very  top-heavy  and  tipsy  in  her  motions. 

While  we  were  getting  rid  of  the  sand  and  washing 
the  powder  grime  from  the  paint-work,  I  went  on  shore 
with  our  commanding  officer,  and  a  party,  to  gratify  a 
natural  curiosity  to  see  a  place  that  had  given  us  so 
much  trouble. 

On  our  way  we  met  boats  conveying  to  their  own 
vessels,  or  to  the  hospital-ship,  the  wounded  in  the  as- 
sault of  the  day  before,  and  we  found  on  the  beach 
parties  collecting  for  burial  the  bodies  of  those  who  had 
been  killed. 

The  beach,  as  well  as  the  whole  space  in  the  land 
front  of  the  fort,  was  strewn  with  large  fragments  of 
shell,  musket-balls,  muskets,  bayonets,  cartridge-boxes 
and  belts,  articles  of  clothing,  caps,  and  dead  bodies. 
As  we  approached  the  land-face  we  began  to  find  the 
bodies  of  soldiers  instead  of  sailors.  Some  of  these 
were  lying  in  the  strangest  postures,  just  as  death  struck 


THE  END   OF  THE    WAR.  373 

them.  While  the  faces  of  some  showed  all  the  energy 
and  excitement  and  deadly  purpose  of  the  fight,  others 
looked  as  calm  and  peaceful  as  any  sleeping  baby. 

Many  of  the  dead  were  covered  with  dust  and  dirt 
from  rolling  down  the  steep  earthwork  after  being  shot. 

Passing  through  a  gap  in  the  palisades,  we  climbed 
up  to  the  top  of  one  of  the  traverses,  a  distance  of  at 
least  forty  feet,  and  then  had  a  view  of  the  fort. 

The  great  extent  of  the  works  was  the  first  thing 
which  struck  one,  and  then  the  eye  was  attracted  at 
once  by  the  huge  crater  near  the  angle  where  the  ex- 
plosion of  that  morning  had  taken  place,  and  from 
which  the  sulphurous  smoke  was  still  curling  lazily 
up.  While  taking  in  this  view  we  were  accosted  by  a 
major  of  a  Pennsylvania  regiment,  who  said  he  was 
trying  hard  to  bring  some  order  out  of  the  indescribable 
confusion  caused  by  the  bombardment,  the  assault,  and 
the  explosion  combined.  This  gentleman  said  that  he 
was  the  only  regimental  field-officer  left  for  duty  in 
the  regiments  which  composed  the  assaulting  force,  all 
the  others  being  either  killed  or  wounded. 

We  now  proceeded  to  the  subterranean  passage,  lead- 
ing under  one  of  the  great  earthen  mounds  or  traverses, 
to  the  sally-port,  whence  the  field-piece  had  been  used 
which  had  so  cut  up  the  soldiers  during  the  assault. 

This  passage  was  dark  and  damp,  of  course,  too  low 
for  a  tall  man  to  walk  upright  in,  and  six  or  eight  feet 
wide,  supported  and  roofed  with  logs.  A  fearful  stench 
came  from  the  place,  for  it  had  been  occupied  as  a 
bomb-proof  refuge  by  a  part  of  the  garrison  during 
the  bombardment,  and  was  in  the  filthy  condition 
which  such  places  always  are  after  men  have  been 

32 


374  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

forced  to  remain  in  them  for  any  length  of  time.  The 
floor  was  literally  paved  with  the  dead  bodies  of  sol- 
diers, who  had  been  placed  there  when  wounded  during 
the  heavy  shell  fire. 

Lying  in  the  shocking  filth,  damp,  and  darkness, 
nearly  all  had  died  just  where  they  were  laid,  but  an 
occasional  groan  showed  that  a  very  few  still  survived, 
and  our  fatigue-parties  were  just  about  to  take  them 
out,  and  separate  the  living  from  the  dead. 

At  the  outer  end  of  this  place  stood  the  field-piece, 
on  its  light  carriage,  the  crew  of  which,  when  they 
fired  their  last  shot,  and  retired  within  the  fort,  must 
have  passed  over  the  bodies  of  their  comrades. 

We  did  not  stop  here  long,  nor  did  we  care  to  look 
into  other  bomb-proofs,  which  were,  no  doubt,  in  the 
same  condition,  but  passed  on  to  the  northeast  angle, 
where  in  a  huge  embrasure  formed  of  sand-bags  and 
plank  was  a  very  heavy  gun.  This  was  a  rifled  Arm- 
strong, bearing  the  broad  arrow  of  the  English  govern- 
ment, and  which  had  been  presented,  it  was  said,  to 
the  "  Confederacy"  by  some  English  sympathizers. 

This  gun  had  been  very  marked  in  its  attentions  to 
the  ironclads,  and  we,  in  turn,  had  frequently  made  it 
a  special  object  for  our  fire.  Our  shell  often  caused 
the  gunners  to  leave  it,  but  they  always  returned  when- 
ever our  fire  slacked  or  was  temporarily  diverted. 
Just  before  the  assault,  however,  it  had  had  its  car- 
riage disabled,  and  we  found  it  in  this  condition,  with 
a  sergeant  and  some  men  of  the  signal  corps  quietly 
cooking  their  breakfast  on  the  parapet  close  by  its  now 
harmless  muzzle. 

The  great  shells  had  scarred  and  seamed  the  face  of 


THE  END   OF  THE    WAR.  375 

the  defences,  and  in  bursting  had  excavated  great  holes 
in  the  sandy  soil  around  the  platform  of  the  gun,  in 
which  some  dead  were  partially  buried. 

"While  standing  here  and  looking  about,  I  saw  a 
delicate  hand  and  wrist  sticking  up  out  of  the  sand, 
covered  by  a  knitted  glove,  delicately  fastened  about 
the  wrist  by  a  silken  cord  and  tassel.  I  could  not 
help  fancying  that  that  home-made  glove  was  the  gift 
of  a  mother  or  sister  to  the  young  officer  who  was  lying 
below,  buried  possibly  by  the  very  shell  which  had 
killed  him. 

Against  the  heavy  plank  side  of  the  embrasure  was 
crushed  the  body  of  an  officer,  who  had  evidently  been 
killed  by  the  concussion  of  a  bursting  shell.  One  side 
of  his  head  and  face  was  smashed  in  and  literally  plas- 
tered against  the  plank,  leaving  the  other  side  in  relief, 
the  profile  and  black  moustache  standing  out  like  a 
plaster-cast.  He  must  have  been  a  very  handsome 
man,  and  the  side  of  his  face  which  was  exposed  was 
not  at  all  disfigured,  and  looked  like  wax- work. 

Perhaps  I  have  dwelt  too  much  upon  these  horrors, 
but  they  made  a  great  impression  upon  me,  and  the 
appearance  of  some  of  the  dead  I  saw  that  day  I  shall 
'never  forget.  I  had  seen  men  dreadfully  mangled  be- 
fore ;  but  that  was  in  the  midst  of  fight,  when  one  is  in 
hot  blood,  and  there  is  no  time  for  moralizing.  But 
going  over  such  a  scene  in  cool  blood,  with  the  sun- 
light searching  out  every  ugly  spot,  is  a  very  different 
matter. 

I  was  rather  glad  when  we  had  to  return  to  the  ship, 
and  as  there  was  plenty  for  all  to  do  on  board,  our  time 
for  looking  about  was  limited. 


376  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

As  we  were  leaving  the  fort  we  noticed  two  or  three 
huge  piles  of  muskets,  some  of  them  curiously  contorted 
by  missiles,  which  were  the  arms  of  the  captured  gar- 
rison, as  well  as  those  belonging  to  our  own  dead  and 
wounded,  which  a  detail  of  men  were  collecting  and 
piling  up. 

Just  by  these  piles  were  the  bodies  of  many  dead 
Confederates,  and  near  them  two  officers,  in  their  gray 
uniform,  laid  out  on  stretchers,  with  their  caps  over 
their  faces. 

Thinking  they  were  dead,  as  I  passed  I  lifted  the 
cap  from  one  of  them  to  see  what  his  face  was  like.  I 
was  startled  to  find  a  very  live,  face  indeed,  with  two 
fever-bright  eyes  gazing  up  into  mine.  He  seemed  to 
enjoy  my  confusion,  and  said,  in  reply  to  a  question, 
that  he  was  wounded  in  the  legs  and  was  on  his  way 
to  the  field-hospital.  Making  an  apology  for  my  curi- 
osity, I  hastened  on  to  rejoin  my  party,  finding,  as  we 
got  down  to  the  beach  again,  that  the  row  of  bodies  in 
navy-blue  was  getting  longer  and  longer.  We  were 
glad  to  jump  into  our  boat  and  pull  away  from  such 
sad  sights. 

On  board  the  Ironsides  we  found  "  Jack"  at  work, 
with  hose  and  buckets,  brooms  and  squillgees,  washing 
down  the  spar-deck,  and  getting  rid  of  our  "  farm,"  as 
the  men  called  the  sand. 

That  afternoon  all  hands  were  called  to  muster,  and 
a  letter  from  the  admiral  was  read,  thanking  us  for  the 
handsome  way  in  which  the  ship  had  been  fought,  and 
for  the  accuracy  of  our  fire,  alluding  also  to  the  fact 
that  we  had  led  the  fleet  into  action  on  each  occasion. 

I  think  I  may  be  excused  for  here  giving  a  portion 


THE  END   OF  THE    WAR.  377 

of  the  official  despatch  commending  the  commodore 
commanding  the  Ironsides.  "  His  vessel  did  more  ex- 
ecution than  any  vessel  in  the  fleet,  and  even  when  our 
troops  were  on  the  parapet,  I  had  so  much  confidence 
in  the  accuracy  of  his  fire  that  he  was  directed  to  fire 
on  the  traverses  in  advance  of  our  troops,  and  clear 
them  out.  This  he  did  most  effectually,  and  but  for 
this  victory  might  not  have  been  ours Hav- 
ing broken  his  rudder  in  a  heavy  gale,  he  rigged  up  a 
temporary  one  under  adverse  circumstances,  and  had  his 
ship  ready  as  soon  as  the  rest.  He  seemed  never  to 
tire  of  fighting,  and  for  three  days  laid  within  one 
thousand  yards  of  Fort  Fisher  without  moving  his 
anchor,  and  made  the  rebels  feel  that  we  had  come 
there  to  stay." 

The  weather  remained  wonderfully  fine  all  this  time, 
and  here  we  were  at  anchor  day  after  day  on  a  part  of 
the  coast  where,  before  the  war,  it  would  have  been 
considered  foolhardy  voluntarily  to  anchor  at  all. 

On  January  17th  the  large  vessels  made  their  way 
North,  leaving  the  gunboats  and  small  craft  to  occupy 
the  river  and  force  the  enemy  to  blow  up  and  evacuate 
the  numerous  forts  and  batteries.  This  they  effected  in 
a  great  hurry  and  amidst  much  consternation.  Indeed, 
it  was  very  natural  for  them  to  suppose  that  Fort  Fisher 
would  come  off  victoriously  from  the  second  attack,  as 
she  was  much  better  garrisoned  and  prepared  than  at 
the  time  of  the  first  one.  Our  success  this  time  was 
due  to  the  change  in  the  commanding  officer  of  the 
troops ;  for  the  men  who  carried  the  muskets  were  the 
same.  All  the  forts  in  the  river  were  of  the  most  ap- 
proved and  careful  construction,  and  contained  in  all 

32* 


378  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

about  one  hundred  and  seventy  heavy  guns,  while  lines 
of  torpedoes,  to  be  exploded  by  electricity,  filled  the 
approaches  to  them.  It  was  remarked  by  an  officer 
high  in  authority,  that  the  engineers  who  built  such 
works,  at  the  expense  of  so  much  time  and  trouble, 
must  have  had  an  abiding  faith  in  the  Confederacy. 

The  armed  vessel  Chicamauga,  which  had  already 
created  such  havoc  among  our  coasters,  and  which  was 
ready  for  sea  again,  and  watching  an  opportunity  to  slip 
out,  was  run  high  up  the  river  and  into  one  of  the 
branches,  and  there  sunk  by  her  own  crew. 

Several  fine  blockade-runners  came  in  under  Fort 
Caswell,  quite  ignorant  of  the  change  of  aifairs.  Lights 
were  shown  them  to  guide  them  in,  and  when  they 
anchored  they  were  quietly  taken  possession  of.  On 
board  of  one  of  them  were  found  some  English  army 
officers,  who  had  come  over  from  Bermuda  "  on  a  lark" 
to  see  what  blockade-running  was  like.  When  the 
vessel  was  boarded  these  gentry  were  found  seated  over 
their  champagne,  and  felicitating  themselves  upon  their 
successful  run,  and  upon  having  escaped  serious  dam- 
age from  some  shots  which  had  struck  the  vessel  as  she 
was  running  through  the  outside  blockaders.  Their 
astonishment  may  be  imagined,  as  well  as  their  disgust, 
at  being  shipped  to  New  York  under  arrest,  and  thence 
sent  back  to  Bermuda  by  the  first  opportunity. 

We  arrived  in  Hampton  Roads  just  in  time  to  avoid 
another  long  spell  of  cold,  easterly,  stormy  weather,  and 
were  almost  immediately  ordered  up  the  James  River 
to  Bermuda  Hundred,  to  protect  the  immense  stores 
of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  then  before  Petersburg, 
from  the  threatened  raids  of  some  small  ironclad 


THE  END   OF  THE    WAR.  379 

rams,  which  the  enemy  still  had  at  Rocketts,  near  Rich- 
mond. 

If  they  had  succeeded  in  destroying  the  great  accu- 
mulation of  material  and  provisions  at  City  Point,  or 
even  in  interrupting  communication  temporarily,  it 
would  have  been  a  very  serious  matter,  and  at  least 
would  have  delayed  the  successful  prosecution  of  the 
final  campaign. 

We  went  foaming  up  James  River  with  our  own 
steam,  and  a  powerful  tug  under  each  quarter,  and  when 
we  reached  Bermuda  Hundred,  effectually  plugged  up 
the  channel  by  running  the  Ironsides'  huge  bulk  up  it 
as  far  as  she  could  go,  and  then  leaving  her  sticking  in 
the  soft  mud.  As  soon  as  General  Ord,  who  commanded 
on  that  flank,  saw  what  manner  of  craft  we  were,  he 
seemed  satisfied,  and  said  he  should  now  cease  to  trouble 
himself  about  ironclads  and  rams. 

The  rams  never  came  within  miles  of  us,  however, 
and  were,  not  long  afterwards,  destroyed  by  their  own 
people.  But  I  have  no  doubt  our  presence  there  pre- 
vented them  from  giving  trouble. 

During  our  stay  at  this  point  we  had  many  oppor- 
tunities of  seeing  the  operations  in  front  of  Petersburg, 
and  the  working  of  a  huge  army  in  daily  conflict  with 
a  vigilant  enemy.  We  were  lying  not  far  from,  and 
we  almost  daily  visited,  City  Point,  where  General 
Grant's  headquarters  were,  a  row  of  most  beautifully 
built  log  cabins.  Here  was  often  seen  the  general  in 
consultation  with  General  Meade  and  Mr.  Lincoln,  as 
well  as  the  Southern  Peace  Commissioners,  who  paid 
City  Point  a  visit  while  we  were  there.  Several  im- 
portant battles  and  skirmishes  also  took  place,  so  that 


380  THIRTY  YEARS  AT  SEA. 

we  had  stirring  events  to  enliven  the  monotony  of  our 
river  blockade. 

When  satisfactory  evidence  was  had  that  the  rams 
were  no  longer  to  be  feared,  our  mission  in  the  James 
River  was  accomplished,  and  we  went  down  again  to 
Norfolk.  Thence  we  were  ordered  to  Philadelphia, 
arriving  there  just  at  the  time  when  the  news  of  the 
murder  of  Mr.  Lincoln  sent  a  thrill  of  horror  through 
the  nation,  and  the  world.  The  good  old  ship  was  now 
put  out  of  cominiasion,  and  with  my  orders  detaching 
me  from  her  came  an  appointment  as  acting  lieutenant, 
which  had  been  obtained  for  me  by  the  kind  recommen- 
dations of  the  commanding  officers  with  whom  I  had 
served. 

This  appointment  gratified  me  exceedingly,  especially 
when  I  considered  how  I  had  first  entered  the  navy 
some  twenty  years  before.  I  was  conscious,  however, 
that  I  had  always  faithfully  performed  my  duty,  and 
was  worthy  of  the  compliment.  It  was  nothing  more, 
as  the  war  was  now  at  an  end ;  and  not  very  long  after 
this  I  was,  in  common  with  hundreds  of  other  volun- 
teers, mustered  out  of  the  service  with  an  honorable 
discharge. 

And  now  I  think  this  a  proper  place  to  pause  in  my 
"yarn."  Although  the  past  twelve  years  have  been 
to  me  by  no  means  uneventful,  I  am  disposed  before 
recounting  their  voyages  to  see  how  the  first  part  is 
received,  so  here  I  pipe  "  belay." 

THE   END. 


PUBLICATIONS  OF  J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  &>  CO. 


Florida :  Its  Scenery,  Climate,  and  History.     With 

an  Account  of  Charleston,  Savannah,  Augusta,  and  Aiken, 
a  Chapter  for  Consumptives;  Various  Papers  on  Fruit-Cul- 
ture; and  a  Complete  Handbook  and  Guide.  By  SIDNEY 
LANIER.  Profusely  Illustrated.  I2mo.  Fine  cloth.  $1.75. 


of  which  it  treats.  A  chapter  for  con- 
sumptives will  be  found  full  of  excellent 
practical  advice  for  those  who,  afflicted 
with  this  complaint,  are  in  search  of  a 
mild  and  favorable  climate." — Boston 
Saturday  Evening  Gazette. 


"  Written  in  a  delightfully  sketchy, 
DfF-hand  style,  the  author  is  artist, 
poet,  musician,  scientist,  all  in  one." 
—New  Orleans  Bulletin. 

"  It  is  spirited  in  style,  attractive  in 
material,  and  is  at  once  a  history,  a 
handbook,  and  a  guide  for  the  region 

The  New  Hyperion.  From  Paris  to  Marly  by  Way 
of  the  Rhine.  By  EDWARD  STRAHAN.  Profusely  Illus- 
trated with  over  Three  Hundred  Engravings,  from  designs  by 
Dore  and  others.  8vo.  Extra  cloth,  black  and  gilt  orna- 
mentation. $3.00.  Full  gilt.  $3.50. 


"  Besides  the  descriptions,  which 
are  exceedingly  racy  and  characteris- 
tic, we  have  a  series  of  illustrations, 
in  many  respects  the  most  amusing 
we  have  seen,  although  the  ground 
gone  over  has  been  traveled  before, 
and  the  story  is  committed  to  scenes 


connected  with  Mr.  Longfellow's 
celebrated  romance  of  Hyperion ;  the 
writing  is  exceedingly  piquant,  and 
the  general  air  of  the  book  so  jolly 
that  we  enjoy  it  quite  as  well  as  if  it 
had  not  been  indebted  to  two  excellent 
models." — Chicago  Inter-Ocean. 


Europe  Viewed  throitgli  American  Spectacles.     By 

C.   C.   FULTON,  Editor  of  the   Baltimore  American.     8vo. 
Paper.     $1.25.     Fine  cloth.     $1.75. 


"  It  is  very  pleasant  to  be  able  con- 
scientiously to  praise  a  book  of  a 
brother  editor.  We  have  read  it  with 


so  much  delight  that  we  have  little 
time  to  spare  to  elaborate  its  merits." 
— Boston  Globe. 


Many  Lands  and  Many  People.     Being  a  Series  of 

Sketches  of  Travel  in  all  P.arts  of  the  World.  With  One 
Hundred  and  Forty-seven  Illustrations.  8vo.  Extra  cloth, 
black  and  gilt  ornamentation.  $2.50. 


"  Truly  a  work  of  universal  interest, 
not  only  to  young  people  eager  for 
information  concerning  the  wide  and 
wonderful  world  in  which  they  live, 


but  to  all  who  delight  in  clever  sketches 
of  scenes  abroad  that  possess  the 
charm  of  novelty." — St.  Louis  Times. 


Lady  Bell.     A  Story  of  the  Last  Century.     By  the 

author  of  "Citoyenne  Jacqueline,"  etc.     Illustrated.     I2mo. 

Extra  cloth.     $1.75. 

'"  Citoyenne  Jacqueline' won  a  fair  public  again  with 'Lady  Bell,'  a  de- 
success  with  the  lovers  of  current  fie-  cidedly  attractive  story  of  English 
tion,  and  the  author  now  tempts  the  life." — New  York  Home  Journal. 


PUBLICATIONS  OF  J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  &  CO. 


What  a  Boy  /    Problems  Concerning  Him.     I.   What 

shall  we  do  with  him?  II.  What  will  he  do  with  himself? 
III.  Who  is  to  blame  for  the  consequences?  By  JULIA  A. 
WILLIS.  With  Frontispiece.  I2mo.  Fine  cloth.  $1.50. 


"  Every  member  of  the  family  will 
be  sure,  to  read  it  through,  and  after 
enjoying  the  author's  humor,  will  find 
themselves  in  possession  of  something 
solid  to  think  about." — New  York 
Christian  Union. 

"  There  is  a  vein  of  practical  sense 


running  through  the  story  which  will 
be  food  for  old  and  young  readers,  and 
the  charming  love  scenes  render  the 
book  one  of  absorbing  interest,  and 
the  reader  must  be  dull  enough  not  to 
relish  the  book  from  beginning  to  end." 
— Pittsburgh  Commercial. 


The  Nursery  Rattle.     For  Little  Folks.     By  Anne  L. 

HUBER.    With  Twelve  Chromo  Illustrations.     Small  quarto. 
Extra  cloth.     $1.75. 

"  '  Nursery  Rattle"  is  all  the  better  !  from  one  pen  in  the  language.  Sim- 
because  it  generally  does  not  pretend  !  plicity  of  idea,  clearness  of  expression, 
to  carry  meaning  or  moral  with  it,  and  brevity  of  words,  and  fine  humor  and 
!t  has  a  musical  ring  in  it." — Phila- 
delphia Inquirer. 

"The  best  collection  of  nursery  songs 

Diana  Carew  ;  or,  For  a  Woman's  Sake.     A  Novel. 

By  Mrs.  FORRESTER,  author  of  "Dolores,"  "Fair  Women," 
etc.     I2mo.     Fine  cloth.     $i .50. 
"A  story  of  great  beauty  and  com-  i  admire  a  love-story  of  good  society, 


sympathy  mark  the.  '  Nursery  Rat- 
tle.'"— San  Francisco  Alta  Califor- 
nia. 


It  I  and  who   especially  admire  ease  and 

fias  been  to  us  in  the  reading  one  of  j  naturalness  in  writing   and  character 
the  most  pleasant  novels  of  the  year,  1  painting,  will  find  in  Mrs.  Forrester's 


plete  interest  to  its  close. 

e  most  pleasant  novels  of  the  year,  i  painting,  wil 
and  at  no  time  during  our  perusal  did     latest  novel  a  deep  pleasure." — Boston 


we    feel   the   interest  flagging  in  the  i  Traveller. 
slightest  degree.    .     .     .      Those  who  ' 

Pemberton ;  or,  One  Hundred  Years  Ago.  By 
HENRY  PETERSON,  author  of  "  The  Modern  Job,"  etc.  iamo. 
Extra  cloth.  $1.25. 

chaste,  and  appropriate." — Philadel- 


"  As  a  historical  novel  this  work  is 
a  graphic  representation  of  the  Phila- 
delphia of  the  Revolution,  and  as  a  ro- 
mance it  is  well  imagined  and  vividly 
related.  The  interest  never  flags  ;  the 
characters  are  living,  human  beings  of 
the  nobler  sort,  and  the  style  is  simple, 


phia  Evening  Bulletin. 

"  The  style  is  graceful,  fluent,  and 
natural,  and  the  various  conversations 
between  the  different  characters  are 
marked  with  strong  individuality." — 
Philadelphia  Ledger. 


Alide.     A  Romance  of  Goethe's  Life.      By  Emma 

LAZARUS,  author  of  "  Admetus,  and  other  Poems,"  etc.  121110. 
Fine  cloth.     $1.25. 


"A  charming  story  beautifully  told, 
taving  for  its  subject  the  romance  of  a 
life,  the  interest  in  which  is  and  must 
for  a  long  time  be  intense  and  all  ab- 
loibing. 


"  This  is  a  tender  and  touching  love- 
story,  with  the  best  element  in  love- 
stories,  truth.  The  story  is  very 
charmingly  told,  with  rare  grace  and 
freshness  of  style." — Boston  Post. 


PUBLICATIONS  OF  J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT&  CO. 


The  Livelies,  and  other  Short  Stories.  By  Sarah 
WINTER  KELLOGG.  With  Frontispiece.  8vo.  Paper.  40 
cents. 


"  It  is  a  long  time  since  we  have 
read  a  more  agreeable  or  better  written 
book.  The  authoress  has  a  pleasant, 
racy,  lively  style,  considerable  powers 
of  humor,  and  at  times  of  pathos." — 
ffeiu  York  Arcadian. 

"  '  The  lovelies'  is  a  sketch  of  do- 
mestic life  made  thrilling  by  the  intro- 
duction of  incidents  of  the  great  fire  at 
Chicago." — Philadelphia  Age. 


"The  tales  are  pleasantly  written,  in 
a  bright,  taking  style,  both  the  plots  and 
characters  being  interesting.  The  book 
is  decidedly  readable,  and  will  assist 
materially  in  hastening  the  flight  of  an 
odd  hour." — Boston  Express. 

"  There  are  five  admirable  stories  in 
this  book,  all  well  told  and  interest- 
ing."— Baltimore  American. 


The  Fair  Puritan.     An  Historical  Romance  of  New 

England  in  the  Days  of  Witchcraft.  By  HENRY  WILLIAM 
HERBERT  ("  Frank  Forester"),  author  of  "The  Cavaliers  of 
England,"  "The  Warwick  Woodlands,"  "My  Shooting 
Box,"  etc.  I2mo.  Fine  cloth.  $1.50. 

"  The  story  is  well  and  vigorously 
written,  and  thoroughly  fascinating 
throughout,  possessing,  with  its  numer- 


"  It  is  a  stirring  story  of  stirring 
events  in  stirring  times,  and  introduces 
many  characters  and  occurrences 
which  will  tend  to  arouse  a  peculiar  in- 
terest."— New  Haven  Courier  and 
Journal. 

"  The  story  is  a  powerful  one  in  its 
plot,  has  an  admirable  local  color,  and 
is  fully  worthy  to  rank  with  the  other 
capital  fictions  of  its  brilliant  author." 
— Boston  Saturday  Gazette. 


ous  powerfully  dramatic  situations  and 
the  strong  resemblance  to  actual  fact 
which  its  semi-historical  charactet 
gives  it,  an  intensity  of  interest  to 
which  few  novels  of  the  time  can  lay 
claim." — rhiladelphia  Inquirer. 

"A  romance  of  decided  ability  and 
absorbing  interest." — St.  Louis  Times. 


The  Green  Gate.     A  Romance.     From  the  German 

of  Ernst  Wichert,  by  Mrs.  A.  L.  WISTER,  translator  of 
"The  Old  Mam'selle's  Secret,"  "Gold  Elsie,"  "  Hulda," 
etc.  Fifth  Edition.  I2mo.  Fine  cloth.  $1.75. 


"  It  is  a  hearty,  pleasant  story,  with 
plenty  of  incident,  and  ends  charm- 
ingly."— Boston  Globe. 

"  A  charming  book  in  the  best  style 
of  German  romance,  redolent  of  that 
nameless  home  sentiment  which  gives 


a  healthful  tone  to  the  story."—  New 
Orleans  Times. 

"  This  is  a  story  of  continental 
Europe  and  modern  times,  quite  rich 
in  information  and  novel  in  plot."— 
Chicago  Journal. 


Patricia  Kemball.     A  Novel.     By  E.  Lynn  Linton, 

author  of  "  Lizzie   Lorton,"    "  The   Girl   of  The   Period," 
"Joshua  Davidson,"  etc.     I2mo.     Fine  cloth.     $1.75. 


" '  Patricia  Kemball'  is  removed  from 
the  common  run  of  novels,  and  we  are 
much  mistaken  if  it  does  not  land  Mrs. 
I.inton  near  the  skirts  of  the  author  of 
'  Middlemarch.'  " — Lloyd's  Weekly. 

"  The  book  has  the  first  merit  of  a 
romance.  It  is  interesting,  and  it  im- 


proves as  it  goes  on. 


Is  per- 


haps the  ablest  novel  published  in 
London  this  year." — London  Athe- 
ntfum. 

'"Patricia  Kemball,'  by  E.  Lynn 
Linton,  is  the  best  novel  of  English 
life  that  we  have  seen  since  the  '  Mid- 
dlemarch'  of  '  George  Eliot.'  " — i'hii- 
adelphia  Evening  Bulletin. 


PUBLICATIONS  OF  J.  B.  LIPPING  O  TT  ^  CO. 


A  Family  Secret.     An  American  Novel.     By  Fanny 

ANDREWS  ("Elzey  Hay").    8vo.     Paper  cover.    $1.00.    Fine 
cloth.    $1.50. 


"  Her  novel  is  as  entertaining  as  any 
novel  need  be.  ...  There  are 
?ome  character-drawing  and  life-pic- 
turing in  the  volume  which  mean  a 
jood  deal  more  than  mere  amusement 
'.o  discerning  readers." — New  York 
Evening  Post. 

"  The  character  sketching  and  the 


narrative  portions  of  the  work  are 
graphic  and  entertaining,  and  show 
considerable  skill  in  construction  on 
the  part  of  the  author.  It  is  a  book 
that  will  repay  the  reader's  pains, and 
that  is  more  than  can  be  said  of  per- 
haps the  average  works  of  fiction." — 
Boston  Post. 


A   New   Godiva.     A   Novel.     By  Stanley  Hope, 

author  of  "  Geoffrey's  Wife,"  etc.   iamo.  Extra  cloth.  $1.50. 

'"A  New  Godiva,' by  Stanley  Hope,  [  efficient    service    for    two    or    three 

novels." — Boston  Saturday  Evening 
Gazette. 

"  It  is  written  with  a  strong,  skilled 
hand,  confident  of  its  strength,  and 
conscious  of  its  skill." — New  York 
Evening  Post. 

"  We  heartily  commend  it  to  our 
readers." — New  Orleans  Bulletin. 


is  a  capital  story  of  English  life, 
abounding  in  incident  of  a  highly  dra- 
matic nature,  and  yet  not  overwrought. 
The  plot  is  somewhat  intricate,  but  it 
is  clearly  developed,  and  is  decidedly 
interesting.  The  characters  are  well 
drawn,  and  the  descriptive  parts  of 
the  book  are  spirited  and  picturesque. 
There  is  enough  excitement  in  it  to  do 

Wild  Hyacinth.      A   Novel.      By  Mrs.  Randolph, 

author  of  "  Gentianella,"  etc.     121110.     Fine  cloth.     $1.75. 

"One  of  the  best  novels  of  our  day.     drawn   and  skillfully  developed  ;    the 
No  writer  of  fiction   has  produced  a 
more  delightful  and  interesting  book." 
— London  Court  Journal. 

"  This  is  a  clean,  wholesome  book. 
The  plot,  if  slight,  is  very  fairly  good  ; 
the  characters  of  the  story  are  well 

Malcolm.     A   Romance.      By    George  Macdonald, 

author  of  "  Robert  Falconer,"  "Alec  Forbes,"  "  Ranald  Ban- 
nerman,"etc.    8vo.    Paper  cover.    £1.00.    Fine  cloth.    $1.50. 


moral  is  unexceptionable.  .  .  .  We 
have  already  said  enough  to  show  our 
hearty  appreciation  of  a  book  which 
is  excellent  in  tone  and  clever  in  exe- 
cution."— London  Standard. 


"  It  is  full  of  good  writing,  keen  ob- 
servation, clever  characterization,  and 
those  penetrative  glances  into  human 
nature  which  its  author  has  a  habit  of 
making." — New  York  Graphic. 

Blanche   Seymour.     A 

"  Erma's  Engagement." 
cloth.     $1.25. 

"  It  is  simple  and  natural  in  plot, 
and  is  admirably  told,  particularly  in 
its  more  pathetic  portions.  The  senti- 
ment is  gracefully  tender,  and  the 
characters  are  drawn  with  great  spirit 
and  discrimination." — Boston  Satur- 
day Evening  Gazette. 


"  It  is  the  most  mature,  elaborate, 
and  highly  finished  work  of  its  distin- 
guished author,  whose  other  novels 
have  had  an  extraordinary  success.' 
— Philadelphia  Evening  Bulletin. 

Novel.     By  the  author  of 

8vo.      Paper.      75  cents.       Fine 


"  The  author's  great  merit  consists 
in  the  commendable  naturalness  of  all 
her  characters.  She  is,  too,  very 
amusing  with  her  side  remarks  and 
the  feminine  cleverness  which  U  to  be 
seen  on  every  page.  .  .  .  We  hardly 
know  a  more  entertaining  little  volumt 
than  this." — N.  Y.  Nation. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


MAR 


NON-RENEWABLE 

JAN  041391 


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